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LAGOS, NIGERIA – Chairman of Heirs Holdings Group, Mr. Tony Elumelu, has expressed profound grief over the tragic fire that engulfed Afriland Towers on Lagos Island on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, resulting in the loss of several staff members.
In a deeply emotional message to employees, Elumelu described the incident as an unimaginable tragedy, stating, “No words can capture the magnitude of this loss — not for their families who loved them, not for the friends who valued them, and not for those of us who worked beside them.”
Elumelu, who was en route to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), revealed that he had aborted his trip to return to Lagos in honour of the lives lost.
He described the tragedy as a painful reminder of the true priority in business: people.
In his message, he urged all staff to support one another and extend compassion to those most directly affected by the incident. He also announced that a series of memorial events would be held in the coming days to celebrate the lives of the deceased and provide support to their grieving families.
The Chairman extended his gratitude to emergency responders, medical personnel, and members of the public who helped during the emergency.
As a mark of respect, a minute of silence was observed across all Heirs Holdings Group companies at exactly 12:00 noon WAT on Wednesday, September 17, 2025.
“May this never happen again in our Group. May the souls of the departed rest in perfect peace,” Elumelu added solemnly.
Meanwhile, investigations into the cause of the fire – which reportedly began in the inverter room of the Afriland Towers – are currently underway.
