A Yaba Chief Magistrate Court in Lagos has ordered the exhumation and autopsy of the victims of the Afriland Towers fire that occurred on September 16, 2025. The directive was issued on Tuesday by Presiding Magistrate Atinuke Adetunji after receiving a petition from Femi Falana Chambers, which requested a coroner’s inquest into the cause of death. The petition, dated September 29, 2025, was addressed to the Chief Coroner of Lagos State, Justice Mojisola Dada. Magistrate Adetunji instructed the petitioner to write to the Lagos State Government to facilitate the exhumation and autopsy, noting that some victims had already been buried.
During the preliminary hearing, the magistrate ordered all parties to file the necessary applications before the next hearing and summoned several institutions, including United Bank for Africa, the Federal Inland Revenue Service, the Fire Service, Afriland Towers, and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency. She emphasized the need to engage with the families of the deceased to identify those willing to allow exhumation for autopsy purposes and appealed for eyewitnesses to come forward with testimonies about the incident.
Yahaya Atata, a representative from Falana’s chambers, said the day’s proceedings were intended to bring all stakeholders together and define the framework for the inquest. However, Magistrate Adetunji observed that the legal representatives were not fully prepared and stressed that the inquest could not proceed until all required documents and applications were filed. Counsel for one of the deceased, A. O. Mema, informed the court that his client, Peter Ifaranmaye, a manager at the Federal Inland Revenue Service, had already been buried. The magistrate maintained that an autopsy remained essential to understanding exactly what happened.
The case was adjourned to November 26, 2025, for further proceedings. The inquest into the Afriland Towers fire is expected to clarify the cause of the victims’ deaths and ensure accountability, marking a significant step toward uncovering the truth behind the tragedy.
