Lack of diesel delays intervention as fire guts Abia high court building
06 January 2023 |
4:46 am
A mid afternoon fire gutted a section of Abia State High Court at Olori in Ikwuano Local Council and destroyed property and items worth millions of naira.
A mid afternoon fire gutted a section of Abia State High Court at Olori in Ikwuano Local Council and destroyed property and items worth millions of naira.
An eyewitness said the fire started at about 2:00p.m. on Wednesday , January 4, 2023, during office hours. The witness said fire fighters who initially came at the scene could not do much as they complained of lack of diesel to power their truck.
Confirming the incident yesterday, Abia State Chief Fire Officer (CFO), Mr. Nnanna Arua said some court property and items worth millions of naira were lost , but no human life was lost to the incident.
He stressed that the situation was brought under control at about 4:00 pm, but re-ignited about 11:00p.m. until it was finally brought under control.
According to the CFO, the cause of the fire was traced to bush burning during the dry season, which escalated the naked fire towards the court building.
He confirmed that fire truck arrived at the scene late due to technical hitch and non-availability of diesel, adding that after the hitch and the filling of the truck with diesel, fire operatives moved to the scene, which is about 25 kilometers from Umuahia, the state capital and succeeded in completely controlling the fire.
According to him , while properties worth billions of naira were saved from fire incidents, those that were lost to the same were in millions of naira. He urged residents to avoid bush burning and leaving electrical appliances on when not in use.
He disclosed that the state recorded 65 and 41 fire incidents from the first week of December to the end of December 2022, at Umuahia and Aba respectively with two persons lost at Aba and one at Umuahia.
“It is obvious that the state fire service lacks operational logistics, but the state government has been addressing the scenario.
“ To improve its poor logistics scenario, the state governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, in 2018 moved the State Fire Office to his Office from the Ministry of Transport, among other decisions,” he added.
Related
1 hour ago
Mr Anthony Agbas, the president of the Ex-Service Men and Family Welfare Association of Nigeria, has urged the government to pay all their pension arrears and other entitlements. Agbas made the call during a peaceful rally by the ex-servicemen at the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja on Wednesday. He said that military pensioners in…
2 hours ago
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has demanded the immediate release of detained human rights lawyer and activist, Dele Farotimi, by the Nigerian Police Force (NPF). In a statement signed by its president, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, the NBA expressed deep concern over Farotimi's arrest on allegations of libel. The NBA said that defamation is no…
10 hours ago
“I can confirm to you that I have received alert for my November salary. I am very glad that the N72,000 minimum wage as recently promised by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf reflected on my November salary,” one civil servant told PM News Nigeria on Wednesday.
12 hours ago
The Igbo Youths Progressive Forum (IYPF) has strongly opposed the proposed tax reform bill introduced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration, describing it as anti-people
1 day ago
In what will be considered a landmark achievement for youth empowerment in Enugu State, the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Center has successfully concluded the third edition of its Construction Skills TVET
1 day ago
The Nigeria Sex Workers Association has appealed to the authorities of law enforcement agencies to protect its members nationwide from harassment and abuse. NSWA made the appeal in a statement by its National Coordinator, Amaka Enemo, made available to the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Lagos. Enemo said that recent reports indicate a…
1 day ago
Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has sworn in three judges—Ojo Maureen Osa, Okundamiya Godwin Jeff, and Edoghogho Eboigbe—who were initially rejected by the previous administration of Godwin Obaseki. The latest development follows the earlier swearing-in of five judges in May this year. The ceremony, which took place at the Festival Hall in Government House,…
1 day ago
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has kept Nigerians in the dark by failing to disclose the identity of the ex-government official from whom it forfeited an estate, prompting a backlash from Nigerians on social media. On Monday evening, the EFCC announced on X (formerly Twitter) via its official handle that it had seized…
1 day ago
Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North, has said that it is preferable to have 774 local government chairmen who are corrupt than a single centralised leader who controls all the resources. Oshiomhole made the statement during a forum on local government autonomy organised by the House of Representatives on Monday. The former Governor of Edo…
×
Get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox every day of the week. Stay informed with the Guardian’s leading coverage of Nigerian and world news, business, technology and sports.
0 Comments
We will review and take appropriate action.