A maternal uncle of three brothers who were among victims of the Great Nigeria House building fire at Balogun Market, Lagos Island, on December 24, 2025, Basil Ndedigwe, has blamed the Lagos State Government for his family’s tragic loss.

Speaking to Peoples Gazette after the Service of Songs and Requiem Mass for the victims held at the Jesus The Saviour Catholic Church in Ejigbo, on Wednesday, Mr Ndedigwe, alleged that the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Services, upon arrival at the scene of the inferno, demanded N35 million from the market leaders before they put out the fire.

According to him, for two hours, the fire responders did not attempt to combat the fire which started at the five-stoery attachment, until it spread to the 25-storey building. 

He however stated that the fire fighters stopped operations not long after, due to lack of enough water, adding that if they had commenced work on time, his nephews might have survived the blaze.

Asked about his assessment of the state government’s response to the incident, Mr Ndedigwe said, “To tell you, if not that in church, we leave everything for God, they are the ones that made things to be like this. They could have not died because when they initially called the fire service, they came requesting money, asking that they should give them N35 million before they resume work. I’ve never seen something of that nature. 

“You know the 25-storey building is at Balogun Market. The first Fire Service officials that came, they brought things and joining them together but they did not start work immediately. They were asking the market managers to give them N35 million before they start work. Some were asking them, ‘do you think N35 million is something that someone will deep hands into pocket and give you? It’s something they will call for a meeting, and before calling for a meeting, you’ll see that the fire will escalate everywhere.’ So, they had been there. 

“After two hours, when they saw that the fire has been escalating…because it started from the five-storey attachment to that 25-storey building. So, it’s when they saw that the fire is spreading to that, before they started doing water like this. Small time, they said that the water had finished in the tank. That’s why if one say that let Nigeria not happen to you, that person is giving you a good prayer because if Nigeria happens to you, you will fall to abyss.”

Responding to the allegation however, the Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, told The Gazette on Thursday, that the state government was aware of the allegation.

He urged the the Balogun Market leaders to name the errant official, noting the governor would ensure disciplinary action against the person.

Mr Akosile said, “We heard it, and even the governor was appalled. Let’s even subject it to critical thinking and reasoning. Is it possible? There is fire and people will now say bring N35 million. Who is that person that will say that kind of thing? I don’t understand. 

“We’re living in the age of phone and everything. God forbid it that I have that kind of emergency, and somebody is making such demand, you and I know that one of the things you do is to start recording that fellow because the person should be taken as a criminal. That one aside. So, the answer to it is, it is not possible, it makes no sense at all. You know when we heard it, I was like what kind of thing is this? 

“We commiserate with the people, it’s so bad losing three brothers. We don’t want to talk about the fact that they caused it by themselves, they told them to evacuate, they were going inside to salvage their property. I mean, we don’t need to even be saying all of that because we’re talking about human lives here. It’s so sad, we’re so shaken, the governor is so shaken by it, it’s so bad, not just the three brothers, including other people that died. 

“The responders came there at the appropriate time. You know how difficult our people can be, even the day the governor went there, it was difficult for us to even navigate. They put all of their goods on the road, they’re so disorderly. It is you, me, journalists and civil society groups that will say the government is not governing with human face. If we decide that they should chase everybody, they should lock up everywhere, they will say ‘Oh, what will they eat? Have you provided a place for them?’ You know what we do as journalists. We’ll be leaning towards them.

“I’m sorry about the people that died, no amount of talk, no amount of reporting will bring them back. The market leaders should point out the person that was demanding money. It’s not spirit that was demanding the money. When you’re raising this kind of allegation, it means that there were meetings, there were conversations between them and the officials. They will do us, even as a government, a lot of good, by naming the person or persons. You can’t just be accusing government. It is human beings that make up the government. So, tell us the human being you had the meeting with and was demanding money from you. 

“But I can tell you there is no official of the Lagos State Government Fire Service that will do that, and if there is anybody found to have done that, I know Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu will not hesitate to take very strict disciplinary action agaisnt the person or persons.”