A Yaba Chief Magistrate Court has directed Femi Falana Chambers to initiate the exhumation and autopsy of ten victims who died in the Afriland Towers fire that occurred on September 16, 2025, in Lagos.
The presiding magistrate, Atinuke Adetunji, issued the order yesterday after learning that some of the deceased had already been buried.
“The petitioner should write to the Lagos State Government for the exhumation of the victims and conduct an autopsy,” she stated.
The court’s decision followed a petition filed by human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) through his chambers.
In a letter dated September 29, 2025, addressed to the Chief Coroner of Lagos State, Justice Mojisola Dada, Falana requested a coroner’s inquest to determine the circumstances that led to the tragic incident and ensure accountability.
During the preliminary session, Magistrate Adetunji instructed all parties involved to submit the required documents before the next hearing.
The court also summoned several institutions and agencies connected to the matter, including the United Bank for Africa, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the Fire Service, Afriland Towers, United Capital, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), and the Lagos State Safety Commission.
Adetunji further ordered the petitioners to liaise with families of the victims to identify those willing to permit exhumation for autopsy.
She also called on eyewitnesses to come forward and provide statements that could aid the investigation.
Representing Falana’s chambers, lawyer Yahaya Atata told the court that the day’s proceedings were meant to bring all stakeholders together and define the modalities for the inquest.
However, the magistrate noted that the legal teams were not fully prepared, emphasizing that the inquest would only proceed once all necessary documents were properly filed.
A lawyer for one of the deceased, A.O. Mema, informed the court that his client, Peter Ifaranmaye, a manager with the Federal Inland Revenue Service, had already been buried. Responding, Magistrate Adetunji insisted that an autopsy was crucial before the inquest could continue.
“An autopsy is fundamental. We cannot proceed with an inquest without knowing the exact cause of death,” she said.
The case was adjourned to November 26, 2025, for further proceedings.
The Afriland Towers fire, which broke out in the early hours of September 16, 2025, at the commercial complex on Broad Street, Lagos Island, claimed at least ten lives and left several others injured.
Witnesses reported that the blaze spread rapidly through multiple floors before emergency responders could bring it under control.