Police begin investigation into Ogoja High Court fire

The Cross River State Police Command says it has commenced investigations into the unfortunate fire incident that occurred at the Ogoja High Court complex in Cross River State on January 5, 2025.

The State Commissioner of Police, CP Gyogon Grimah, disclosed this to The Guardian during an interview in his office at the State Police Headquarters in Calabar on Monday.

He stated that operatives from the Command Criminal Investigations Department have also been deployed to the scene for forensic analysis to unravel the cause of the incident and, more importantly, provide recommendations to prevent a recurrence.

Preliminary investigations by The Guardian, however, revealed that the entire court building was completely razed in the fire incident, whose cause is yet to be ascertained at the time of filing this report.

No lives were lost in the fire, which is suspected to be the handiwork of arsonists.

Accounts of witnesses close to the scene of the disaster indicated that, at the time of the fire, there was no electricity supply to the court nor any bush burning nearby, fueling speculations that it may be connected to attempts by some persons to destroy the justice hub.

The Chief Registrar of the State Judiciary, Iquo Bassey Ekanem, who described the incident as very unfortunate, thanked God that no lives were lost in the inferno.

She noted that, though some files were rescued, office equipment and furniture worth hundreds of thousands of naira were destroyed by the fire.

READ ALSO: Police disband Abia Anti-Cultism Unit for unprofessional conduct

He said, “Though the incident has been verbally reported to the government, we will do so officially as soon as we get the report from the Ogoja district.”

The state judiciary administrative officer added that, since the Judiciary has no capital vote to immediately act on the situation, an alternative arrangement has been made for the High Court to continue its sittings at Magistrate Court 2, Ogoja, until funds are made available for renovation of the courthouse or the construction of a new one.

It could be recalled that the Cross River State House of Assembly last year passed into law the State Fire Service Bill 2024, an amendment of the existing Cross River State Fire Service Law of 2004.

The aim of the bill, according to the sponsor, Hon. Francis Onette, was to reposition the State Fire and Rescue Service to international standards, adding that the amendment was long overdue.

The lawmaker noted that it had been impossible for the State Fire Service to deliver the desired productivity due to several challenges, including the lack of basic requirements for firefighting and prevention, inadequate staff strength, among others.

He highlighted that the State Fire Service was plagued by the absence of firefighting and operational vehicles, the poor and deplorable state of fire stations, the lack of necessary tools in workshops, inadequate manpower, lack of staff training, absence of a means of water supply, as well as an obsolete law.