Tears flowed freely on Wednesday in Uzoakwa community, Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, as the remains of three brothers who died in a Lagos fire incident were laid to rest.
The siblings, Stephen Onyeka Omatu, Casmir Nnabuike Omatu and Collins Kenechukwu Omatu, lost their lives in the devastating fire that engulfed the Great Nigeria Insurance Building in Lagos, a tragedy that sparked public outrage over Nigeria’s emergency response system.
Former Anambra State Governor and 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, who attended the burial, attributed the deaths of the young men to what he described as persistent systemic failure in the country.
Speaking on the ugly development on Thursday in a post on his X handle, Obi said the brothers’ deaths were avoidable and exposed the weaknesses of Nigeria’s emergency and rescue services.
“Yesterday, I attended a deeply emotional and heartbreaking burial of three siblings, Stephen Onyeka Omatu, Casmir Nnabuike Omatu, and Collins Kenechukwu Omatu — three young brothers whose lives were cruelly cut short in the Great Nigeria Insurance building fire in Lagos,” Obi said.
He lamented that the victims were trapped in the building for days, making desperate calls for help that never came.
“For days, these young men sent distressing pleas for help while trapped in the building, yet there were no emergency services to rescue them. Several days passed before their bodies were recovered — days of unanswered calls, of a system that failed them at the moment they needed it most,” he added.
According to Obi, the tragedy goes beyond the grief of one family and reflects a broader national crisis.
“This is not just a personal loss for their family; it is a national loss. Our emergency services must be improved and made accessible to every citizen. We cannot continue like this. Every life matters,” he stressed.
The former presidential candidate called on authorities to treat the incident as a wake-up call, warning that Nigerians should not be left to die in preventable circumstances due to institutional neglect.
“No Nigerian should ever be left to perish in such a gruesome way when help could have been provided,” Obi said.
He offered prayers for the departed brothers and comfort for their grieving family.
“I pray that the souls of Steve, Casmir and Collins find eternal rest, and that God grants their family the strength to bear this unimaginable grief. May we never forget them, and may we be moved to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again.”
Post A Comment: