Nigerian investor and philanthropist, Tony O. Elumelu, has expressed profound grief over the loss of colleagues in a fire at Afriland Towers, describing the past few hours as “tough.”

In a series of posts on social media, on Wednesday, Elumelu stated, “We and others lost colleagues in the fire at Afriland Towers. As a community, we are grieving for all and doing what we can to support their families and loved ones.”

Elumelu also addressed an initial statement issued by UBA Group’s communications team, saying it was “put out in haste, without understanding the full gravity of what happened.”

He added that the statement “does not reflect how deeply saddened we are. The loss of a life is painful, all the more so when it is family and friends. We are praying for all the lives lost.”

He further shared that the group had paused operations to honour those who perished, emphasising the personal and organisational impact of the tragedy.

“Our Group paused today to reflect and remember all who passed. They are irreplaceable and will remain in our memories always. May their souls rest in perfect peace and may God comfort their loved ones and us all,” he said.