The Coroner conducting an inquest to find out the circumstances resulting in the reason for the deaths of 10 people in a current hearth at Afriland Tower, Lagos has directed Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, to demand that the state authorities exhume and conduct an post-mortem on the corpses already buried.
The Coroner, Senior Justice of the Peace Atinuke Adetunji, requested Falana, who’s the petitioner within the inquest, to put in writing to the state authorities to make the calls for after a lawyer to one of many deceased individuals advised the courtroom that a few of the hearth incident victims had already been buried and conducting an post-mortem to find out the reason for dying is essential.
The Coroner has additionally acknowledged that the households of such individuals can’t be compelled to take part within the course of if they’ve already buried their useless.
Although Falana was not current in courtroom, he was represented on the preliminary assembly of the inquest by his counsel Yahya Atata.
Justice of the Peace Adetunji additionally instructed the petitioner to fulfill with the households to determine those that had been buried, these had not, and people keen to have their deceased exhumed for post-mortem.
The Coroner additionally summoned United {Bank} for Africa, the Federal Inland Income Service, United Capital, each the Federal and Lagos State Fireplace Providers, the Lagos State Security Fee, the Lagos State Emergency Administration Company, and the households of the deceased individuals to seem earlier than her for the inquest.
Justice of the Peace Adetunji additionally known as on every other events to file their utility stating their curiosity within the proceedings.
By a letter dated September 29, 2025, Falana had urged the Lagos Chief Coroner, Justice Mojisola Dada, to conduct an inquest to find out the precise explanation for the tragic incident incident of Sept. 16, 2025 at Afriland Towers on Broad Road, Lagos Island.
Falana additionally urged the state to provoke a coroner’s inquest into the deaths of the people and make acceptable suggestions underneath Part 15 of the Lagos State Coroner’s Legislation, 2007, which stipulates that an inquest shall be performed each time a coroner is knowledgeable of a dying that occurred underneath violent, unnatural, or suspicious circumstances.
The Coroner can also be to make suggestions to keep away from a reoccurrence of the unhappy incident.
Justice of the Peace Adetunji has adjourned additional proceedings to November 26.