By Praise Afolabi
A major fire ripped through a United Bank for Africa (UBA) branch on Lagos Island on Tuesday afternoon, forcing staff to flee through windows and prompting a large emergency response as onlookers filmed chaotic scenes at the commercial district.
Videos circulating on social media show employees climbing out of upper-floor windows and preparing to jump to the ground to escape smoke and flames. A separate clip appeared to capture a man leaping from several storeys to safety; the footage has been widely shared on X and Instagram.
Local outlets reporting from the scene said the blaze broke out at the Afriland Tower/Broad Street complex where the UBA branch is located, and that smoke and flames spread quickly through multiple floors. One account said the fire began in a basement inverter room before escalating – a detail that has not been independently confirmed by emergency services.
Authorities and emergency services had not, at the time of publication, issued a full official statement on casualties or the confirmed cause of the blaze. Reporters at the scene said Lagos State Fire and Rescue teams, along with other first-responder units, were mobilised to contain the fire and evacuate trapped workers.
A witness quoted in early reports said staff were “scrambling for safety” as thick smoke filled stairwells and corridors. The developing incident has already caused traffic disruption in the busy Broad Street – a commercial artery for banks and offices on Lagos Island – complicating access for fire crews.
