Lagos Central Mosque Commiserate with Shitta-Bey family

By Sadiq Abdulfatah

The Muslim Community of Lagos State (MCLS) has raised serious concerns over the future of the land occupied by the fire-ravaged Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) building on Lagos Island, describing the site as part of a historic Muslim heritage linked to the Shitta Bey family.

In a statement signed by its President, Alhaji Mohammed Oyinlomo Danmole, the MCLS said the position followed an emergency meeting convened by the Shitta Bey family, stressing that the family, as a prominent Muslim lineage on Lagos Island, is prepared to reclaim and redevelop the land in line with Islamic and community interests.

The GNI building, a 25-storey structure, was gutted by fire in the period leading up to the Christmas celebrations, an incident that claimed the lives of more than eight persons and left the building severely damaged.

Following an assessment visit to the site, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced that the structure would be pulled down through a controlled demolition after suffering partial collapse on safety grounds.

The fire also spread to adjoining properties, including the Shitta Bey Mosque, a well-known Islamic landmark on Lagos Island, as well as Oluwole Plaza, deepening concerns within the Muslim community over the protection of religious sites.

Alhaji Danmole noted that the Shitta Bey family is apprehensive about the possibility of the land being taken over by the government after demolition, pointing out that the family has already lost significant portions of its ancestral land in the area over the years.

He added that the family remains open to dialogue with the Lagos State Government to demonstrate its capacity to redevelop the land promptly, while the Muslim Community of Lagos State offered prayers and condolences to Muslim and non-Muslim business owners who lost loved ones and property in the tragic incident.