By Olawale Lamina
The Director of Search and Rescue of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Air Commodore Usman Bature, has led other responders from various stakeholder agencies in a rapid site assessment of the Great Niger House building at Marina, Lagos Island, which was recently gutted by fire.
A statement by the agency’s Head of Press Unit Manzo Ezekiel informed that rescue operations at the location are still ongoing ( at the time of filing this report), adding that the NEMA South West zonal Director was also in Lagos with the Director Search and Rescue to strengthen efforts of the Head of Lagos operation office to efficiently coordinate the response activities.
Air Commodore Usman explained that the assessment became necessary to ensure the safety of responders working at the site, considering the extensive structural damage and debris scattered around the building, and to further determine the level of technical backup required to support the ongoing rescue operations.
The agency’s Director of Search and Rescue commended the Lagos State Government and all responding agencies for their timely intervention and professionalism, noting that the scale of the incident remains enormous and requires sustained joint mobilisation of resources by government institutions and relevant private organisations. He further advised members of the public to rely on verified information and avoid spreading unconfirmed reports about the incident.
The joint assessment was conducted by response teams from NEMA, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Federal Fire Service, Nigeria Police Force, Lagos State Building Control Agency, and representatives of the media, among others.
The statement by Manzo Ezekiel, said that NEMA has deployed a response team from its Lagos Operations Office to remain permanently stationed at the site, to support the ongoing multi-agency operation.
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