United Capital has released the names of six of its employees who died in the September 16 fire at Afriland Towers on Broad Street, Lagos Island, bringing a deeply personal dimension to the tragedy that claimed ten lives in total.
Among those named was 21-year-old Jesutoni Shodipo, a graduate intern in the compliance department, the youngest victim of the disaster.
The other staff identified were Kehinde Adeoye, 36, also from compliance; Ndidi Osaemedike-Okeke, 41, from the trustees division; Olumide Oyefodunrin, 27, a trust officer; Opeyemi Oloyede, 26, a compliance intern; and Rebecca Adenuga, 26, an executive associate in wealth management.
The company described the loss of its colleagues as “immeasurable” and pledged full support to their families while announcing plans for a memorial service to honour their lives.
The fire broke out in the basement inverter room of the multi-storey commercial building, which also houses the Federal Inland Revenue Service, before spreading rapidly and filling the upper floors with smoke.
Trapped occupants struggled to find exits, with some resorting to desperate leaps from windows in a bid to escape.
Witnesses recounted scenes of chaos as thick black smoke engulfed the stairways and corridors, cutting off escape routes.
In addition to the six United Capital staff, four employees of the Federal Inland Revenue Service also died in the incident, which has since drawn widespread calls for accountability over safety lapses in one of Lagos’s busiest business districts.
United Capital’s announcement is the first public confirmation of the identities of its deceased staff, underscoring the human toll of the tragedy and the enduring grief of colleagues, friends, and families left behind.
