Lagos Island held its breath Wednesday as flames exploded from the 5th floor of the towering 25-storey Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Building on Martins Street – once corporate offices, now a bustling warehouse and clothing retail hub – but Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu took charge personally, directing a flawless response that contained the blaze by early Thursday morning with NO casualties.
Distress pinged at 4:41pm; fire trucks from Ebute Elefun, Dolphin, Sari Iganmu, and Alausa HQ stormed in by 4:53pm, battling spread while evacuating neighbors. Sanwo-Olu stayed glued to updates till 3:40am, prioritizing lives – security cordons locked tight, firefighters’ heroism front and center amid Yuletide chaos on Lagos’ packed streets.
Info Commissioner Gbenga Omotoso confirmed the win: Fire doused, safety checks rolling, cause under probe – classic Sanwo-Olu crisis mastery proving Lagos emergency machine’s unbeatable when seconds count.
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