Lagos Court Orders Exhumation and Autopsy for Afriland Towers Fire Victims

Table of Contents

1. Court Order for Exhumation and Autopsy
2. Details of the Petition
3. Court Summons of Institutions
4. Call for Eyewitnesses
5. Case Adjournment

A Yaba Chief Magistrate Court has instructed Femi Falana Chambers to begin the process of exhuming and conducting autopsies on ten victims of the Afriland Towers fire incident, which took place on September 16, 2025, in Lagos.

Presiding Magistrate Atinuke Adetunji issued the order on Tuesday after learning that some of the deceased had already been interred.

“The petitioner should formally request the Lagos State Government for the exhumation of the deceased victims and proceed with the autopsy,” Magistrate Adetunji ruled.

This directive followed a petition dated September 29, 2025, from Femi Falana Chambers, addressed to the Chief Coroner of Lagos State, Justice Mojisola Dada, seeking a coroner’s inquest to ascertain the cause of the victims’ deaths and ensure accountability.

During the preliminary session, Magistrate Adetunji instructed all parties involved to submit the necessary applications before the next hearing.

The court also summoned several institutions, including the United Bank for Africa (UBA), the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the Fire Service, Afriland Towers, United Capital, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), and the Lagos State Safety Commission, among others.

The magistrate further directed the petitioner to consult with the families of the deceased to identify those who are willing to permit exhumation for autopsy purposes. She also urged eyewitnesses to step forward and provide testimonies regarding the incident.

Yahaya Atata, a representative from Falana’s chambers, informed the court that the day's proceedings were focused on bringing all stakeholders together and outlining the framework for the inquest.

However, Magistrate Adetunji noted that the legal representatives were not adequately prepared and emphasized that the inquest could not proceed until all required documents and applications had been properly submitted.

Meanwhile, A. O. Mema, counsel for one of the deceased, informed the court that his client, Peter Ifaranmaye, a manager at the Federal Inland Revenue Service, had already been laid to rest.

In response, Magistrate Adetunji reiterated that an autopsy is an essential requirement.

“An autopsy is crucial. We cannot simply conduct an inquest; there must be an autopsy to ascertain exactly what transpired,” she stated.

The case was subsequently adjourned to November 26, 2025, for further proceedings.