The Lagos State Government has announced plans to order residents and business owners around the burnt Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) building to vacate the area immediately.
Following an assessment of the site, government-appointed experts warned that the GNI fire evacuation order must be taken seriously due to the grave danger posed to lives and property within a 100-metre radius of the affected building.
According to the experts, several buildings surrounding the scene of the fire have been structurally compromised and fall within the danger zone identified after the incident. As a result, the GNI fire evacuation order applies to all residents and businesses operating within the affected perimeter.
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The government also raised concerns over reports that some shop owners have been breaking into the restricted no-movement zone created around the fire site, describing the action as dangerous and unacceptable.
Authorities stressed that such actions must stop immediately in the interest of public safety, in line with the GNI fire evacuation order.
The 25-storey GNI building was engulfed by fire on December 24, prompting emergency response efforts and subsequent safety evaluations by structural and fire safety experts.
The directive was conveyed in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso.