The Yaba Chief Magistrate Court has ordered the exhumation and autopsy of ten victims who died in the tragic Afriland Towers fire incident that occurred on September 16, 2025, in Lagos. The directive was given by Presiding Magistrate Atinuke Adetunji following reports that some victims had already been buried.

The order came after a petition dated September 29, 2025, submitted by Femi Falana Chambers to the Chief Coroner of Lagos State, Justice Mojisola Dada, requesting a coroner’s inquest to uncover the cause of death and ensure accountability. The court instructed the petitioner to write to the Lagos State Government to begin the process of exhuming the bodies and conducting autopsies.

During Tuesday’s preliminary hearing, Magistrate Adetunji also directed all involved parties to file necessary applications before the next court date. She further summoned several key institutions — including the United Bank for Africa (UBA), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Fire Service, Afriland Towers, United Capital, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), and the Lagos State Safety Commission — to appear before the court.

The court advised Falana’s Chambers to liaise with the families of the deceased to obtain consent for the exhumation process and appealed for eyewitnesses to come forward with testimonies about the fire. However, Magistrate Adetunji noted that the legal teams were not yet fully prepared and emphasized that the inquest could not proceed until all required documents were filed.

Counsel to one of the victims, A.O. Mema, informed the court that his client, Peter Ifaranmaye, a Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) manager, had already been buried. Despite this, Magistrate Adetunji maintained that an autopsy was essential, stating, “We cannot just hold an inquest; there must be an autopsy to know exactly what happened.” The matter was adjourned to November 26, 2025, for further hearing.