Chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc and Heirs Holdings, Tony Elumelu, has expressed deep sorrow over the tragic fire outbreak at Afriland Towers, Lagos Island, which claimed the lives of some staff members on Tuesday.
In a heartfelt statement, Elumelu described the incident as “a devastating loss that words can hardly capture.”
“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,” he said.
The billionaire businessman and philanthropist, who was en route to New York for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), announced that he had cut short his trip to return to Lagos in honour of the departed colleagues.
He urged staff across his group of companies to stand together during this period of grief and support those directly affected.
He also disclosed that memorial activities would be held in the coming days to honour the memories of the victims and provide comfort to their families.
As part of the tributes, all Heirs Holdings group companies observed a minute of silence at 12 noon on Wednesday.
Elumelu also extended his gratitude to emergency responders, first aid workers, and members of the public who displayed courage and compassion during the tragic incident.
Investigations into the cause of the fire, which reportedly started in the inverter room of Afriland Towers, are ongoing.
