Former presidential flagbearer of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has spoken out following the tragic death of three brothers who died in a fire incident at the Great Nigeria Insurance building in Lagos.
Obi, in a message posted on X on Thursday, the 15th of January, 2026, revealed that he was present at the burial ceremony of the siblings Stephen Onyeka Omatu, Casmir Nnabuike Omatu, and Collins Kenechukwu Omatu an experience he described as profoundly painful and emotionally overwhelming.
Reflecting on the scale of the loss, Obi said, “It is almost impossible to describe the depth of this tragedy,” capturing the sorrow surrounding the deaths of the young men.
He recounted that the brothers were trapped inside the burning structure and repeatedly cried out for help, but no emergency responders arrived to save them.
According to him, “For days, these young men sent distressing pleas for help while trapped in the building, yet there were no emergency services to rescue them,” a situation he described as a devastating reflection of institutional failure.
Obi further lamented that it took several days before their remains were eventually retrieved from the debris, stressing that the delay compounded the pain and highlighted serious shortcomings in emergency management.
Describing the incident as one that transcends family grief, he said, “This is not just a personal loss for their family, it is a national loss.”
He noted that the tragedy should force urgent national reflection, particularly on the state of emergency preparedness and response in the country.
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“Our emergency services must be improved and made accessible to every citizen. We cannot continue like this.
Every life matters, and no Nigerian should ever have to endure such neglect or be left to perish in such a gruesome way, while help could have been provided.”
Obi concluded by offering prayers for the departed brothers, asking God to grant their loved ones the strength to cope with the painful loss.
“May we never forget them, and may we be moved to ensure such a tragedy never happens again,” Obi added.