OKECHUKWU OBETA, who lined the burial of three brothers who had been consumed by the hearth that ravaged the Nice Nigeria Insurance coverage Home in Lagos, studies that tears flowed from sympathisers and relations because the stays of the three victims had been buried in Anambra a couple of days in the past
The environment in Nze Omatu Ikwuamaeze household home in Uzoakwa village, Ihiala native authorities space of Anambra state, on Wednesday, 14 January 2026, was, certainly, pathetic as a whole lot of mourners gathered to bid farewell to 3 brothers of the household who misplaced their lives within the 24 December 2025 fireplace catastrophe that ravaged the Nice Nigeria Insurance coverage Home in Lagos.
The temper amongst those that thronged into the sprawling household compound of their a whole lot, most of whom wearing black apparel, was, certainly, that of deep sorrow and heavy coronary heart.
Some even wailed, bore swollen eyes with tears flowing down their cheeks like operating faucets because the three caskets bearing the stays of the three brothers had been positioned within the household compound for the requiem Mass.
Mourners grew to become extra grieved and emotional when the eldest son of the household, a priest of the Catholic Church, Minna Diocese, Niger state, Rev. Fr. William Ugonna Omatu, narrated the tragic story of the demise of his three brothers within the 25-storey constructing, Nice Nigeria Insurance coverage Home fireplace catastrophe.
The deceased brothers had been Steve, aged 40, Casmir, aged 39, and Collins, a twin, aged 37. He stated that it was doable that his three brothers and even different victims may need been saved if the Lagos state authorities had intervened early to save lots of the state of affairs. The Catholic clergy insisted that the Lagos State authorities, significantly the state authorities’s fireplace service, didn’t intervene when the inferno engulfed the Nice Nigeria Insurance coverage Home. So, he referred to as for an intensive probe into the hearth catastrophe, describing it as a “nationwide tragedy”.
He notably dismissed the superstition rumoured amongst some conventional worshippers within the city that it was a “curse” that claimed his three brothers.
LEADERSHIP Weekend gathered that it was firmly believed by some conventional worshippers that their late father, Polycarp Omatu, a Knight of St John Worldwide, refused to make a sacrifice to a deity in the neighborhood, in order that they imagine that the deity, popularly often called “Ogwugwu”, prompted the premature demise of the three sons as revenge.
However, Rev. Fr. Williams dismissed the insinuation with a wave of the hand, saying that the superstition “doesn’t maintain any water”, arguing, “My three brothers weren’t the one ones who died; there have been others who died”. He narrated the unhappy story of the demise of his three brothers in an interview, saying, “It (the demise of his three brothers) is a nationwide tragedy. It’s so unlucky that the world shouldn’t be conscious of what occurred to my three brothers, and never solely my three brothers, however many different souls perished within the Nice Nigeria Insurance coverage Home on the twenty fourth of December, 2025.
“I need the media to search out out what occurred. It’s stated that injustice carried out to at least one is to all. How should souls be there languishing on 24 December, and the Lagos state authorities couldn’t present fireplace service to rescue Nigerians who had been there? It was too unlucky. And it’s my want that this may by no means occur to anybody once more.”
The clergy argued that the hearth raged with the trapped victims for multiple week, from 24 December to 31 December, and the Lagos state authorities couldn’t do something to rescue the victims. “What sort of authorities do we’ve got?” he requested. The clergy continued, “Let the entire world know what’s going on in Ihiala, Anambra state, these three brothers: Steve, Casmir, and Collins Omatu – they had been my youthful brothers, they had been victims of what occurred on 24 December 2025.
“I’m talking for others who additionally misplaced their lives as a result of no one is talking for them; I’m a priest, and, by advantage of my ordination, I’m sure to talk on justice for many who can not communicate for themselves. So, I need the media to search out out what occurred there. Let there be analysis, let there be a documentary on what occurred on 24 December 2025. It shouldn’t be swept below the carpet”, Rev. Fr. Omatu suggested.
An uncle to the deceased three brothers, who advised LEADERSHIP Weekend that he was an eyewitness to the Nice Nigeria Insurance coverage Home fireplace catastrophe, Chief Basil Bobity Ndedigwe alleged that it was the Lagos state authorities’s nonchalant disposition towards the hearth catastrophe that made it not possible for a few of the victims to be rescued.
He stated that instantly after the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, visited the hearth catastrophe web site, authorities brokers cordoned off the realm.
Narrating the story of the hearth incident in an interview on the sidelines, shortly after the three brothers had been interred, Ndedigwe stated, “I used to be there dwell. Crucial factor that bought me aggravated is that when the Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, arrived, they didn’t permit us to go there to elucidate sure issues.
“And the announcement is what baffled me most. He (Gov. Sanwo-Olu) stated there have been no casualties. And after two days, after they had been bringing out some corpses, they (brokers of the federal government) refused that the corpse be videoed.
“They stated, ‘In case you video it (the corpses), what is going to you say when the governor has stated that there was no casualty?’ So, in case you are carrying it and the police cease you and ask you the place you might be carrying the corpse from, the place will you say you might be holding the corpse from?”
He expressed grave remorse that when he was finally allowed entry into the scene of the hearth catastrophe, even the skeletons of his three nephews had changed into ashes. So, all he may do was to take the ashes for burial at residence. He stated that the federal government brokers solely allowed him entry to the burnt constructing greater than per week after.
Feelings deepened within the mourners on the sight of the kids and widows of the deceased after they had been being helped to the graveside to carry out the burial rites of throwing sand into the grave. Their sights, certainly, provoked heavy hearts as many mourners wailed and rained curses on whosoever had a hand within the circumstance that prompted the lives of the three brothers.
Steve left behind a widow and three youngsters: first, two daughters, Ifunanya, aged 7, and Chukwunonyerem, aged 5, and the final youngster, a boy, Somtochukwu, aged 1. Casmir, in line with one in all their uncles, who additionally stated that he lived in Lagos with the deceased’s three brothers, left a pregnant widow. Their third brother, Collins, a twin, has not been married. In keeping with custom, his twin brother, Ugochukwu, was absent from the burial ceremony. He was not allowed to see the stays of his twin, at the same time as his casket was being lowered into the grave. Their mother and father, Sir Polycarp Omatu and his spouse, Girl Juliana, have additionally already joined their ancestors some years in the past. With the demise of their three youngsters, these left within the household are the priest, Rev. Fr. William Omatu, who’s, by the way, the primary male youngster, however second youngster, after Adaora (first youngster), Ujunwa (third youngster), and Ugochukwu, the final youngster. Adaora and Ujunwa are already married. So, Fr. William and Ugochukwu are left to look after the 2 widows and youngsters of their deceased brothers.
Nevertheless, a former Anambra State governor, Mr Peter Obi, who visited the bereaved household, consoled them and promised to keep up an in depth relationship with them. He advised them that he shared of their ache over the tragic demise of their members of the family. The Chairman of Ihiala native authorities, Hon. Anayochukwu Ojiakor, advised LEADERSHIP weekend that he was mandated by the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, to signify him on the funeral. He promised that his native authorities would do all the things inside its energy to help the bereaved household of the three deceased brothers.
However so far as Fr. William and the homilist in the course of the requiem Mass, non secular director of Higher Room Ministry, Enugu, Rev. Fr. Anthony Nnaji, are involved, “God doesn’t abandon orphans”. They expressed sturdy religion that God will at all times cater for the widows and orphans. As an example, Fr. William, referencing the Bible passage, stated, “In Job chapter 19:25, Job stated ‘I do know that my redeemer liveth’. And in Romans 8:37, it’s stated ‘in all this stuff we’re greater than conquerors’”. “What we’ve got right this moment is by the grace of God. The sustenance of the 2 widows, youngsters, and my siblings is within the fingers of God,” Fr. William stated. Fr. Nnaji was emphatic that God knew concerning the tragedy that befell the three brothers. He significantly cautioned these making unfavorable feedback about their demise to desist, warning that such statements could possibly be a motive for such individuals to be condemned to hellfire on their final day. “God doesn’t inform anybody when He’ll come for him or how He’ll come for him,” Fr. Nnaji admonished.
Equally, the president of the Ihiala indigenous clergymen and spiritual, Rev. Fr. Desmond Ebulue, a Redemptorist priest, dismissed the superstition being alluded to as the reason for the tragic demise of the three brothers. He stated that although their demise was a tragedy, as Christians, they weren’t topic to any deity. The Vicar-Common of the Minna Diocese, Rev. Fr. Tadeus Umaru, represented the Bishop on the requiem Mass attended by 47 Catholic clergymen and over 20 Reverend Sisters.
Chinedu advised LEADERSHIP weekend that he bought the worst beating of his life from troopers and police personnel when he tried to go to the scene of the hearth catastrophe to see if he may rescue his three trapped nephews. Chibuzo Mbachi, a dealer on the Balogun Market, dealing in girls’ put on and T-shirts, advised LEADERSHIP weekend that he misplaced items price over N70 million to vandals who invaded the market. He lamented that, though safety companies and different brokers of the Lagos state authorities prevented them from coming into the market to retrieve their items, the thieves nonetheless carted them away.
“I need to plead with the Lagos state authorities to return to our assist. In such a market, we’re purported to have a purposeful fireplace service station. I misplaced between N70 million and N78 million. I deal in girls’ put on and T-shirts. As we had been operating away, as a result of safety individuals had been chasing us away, thieves had been carting away our items,” Mbachi lamented.
