Elochukwu Benjamin
Awka
A fire outbreak at the Federal Secretariat Complex in Awka, Anambra State, has destroyed parts of a pharmaceutical office and an adjoining store occupied by staff of Corixus of Nigeria, with property estimated at over N200 billion saved from the inferno.
The fire, which occurred Tuesday evening, was contained through the prompt intervention of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Anambra State Fire Service before it could spread to other offices within the complex.
The affected facilities are occupied by staff of Corixus of Nigeria, a pharmaceutical company operating within the Federal Secretariat.
In a statement issued by the Anambra State Command of the NSCDC, through its Head of Media and Tactical Ops, Edwin Okadigbo, the Corps said its Disaster Management Team responded swiftly after receiving a distress call concerning the outbreak.
The team, working in collaboration with personnel of the Anambra State Fire Service, succeeded in bringing the fire under control and preventing it from spreading to other sections of the Secretariat.
The NSCDC said the timely intervention saved property estimated at more than N200 billion from destruction.
“The NSCDC State Commandant, Commandant Maku Olatunde has said the prompt response to the incident demonstrated the Corps’ commitment to protecting critical national, state and local government assets and infrastructure across Anambra State.
“He commends members of the Disaster Management Team for their gallantry and effective coordination with the State Fire Service in containing the incident.
“The Commandant further urged Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to prioritise preventive safety measures, including regular electrical inspections and strict compliance with established fire safety standards,” Okadigbo said.
Speaking with journalists, the State Fire Chief, Engr. Emmanuel Chiketa, said the actual cause of the fire was still under investigation, as at the time of filing this report.
Chiketa urged residents, government agencies and organisations to conduct regular electrical audits and strictly observe fire and electrical safety protocols to minimise the risk of fire outbreaks.
According to him, adherence to such safety protocols is very important at all times, as fire outbreak can occur at any time irrespective of the season.
“As you know, we are in a rainy season and this fire occurred. So, our people must learn to adhere to safety advisories so that we can minimize the risk of fire outbreaks.
“Also, homes and offices must have fire extinguishers at all times. Fire starts small and if we can fight them before it escalates, we would not be having big disaster or damages whenever fire occurs because we would have nipped the problem in the bud early,” he advised.
Chiketa further called on members of the public to promptly alert the fire service whenever they notice an outbreak to enable firefighters to respond before the situation escalates.
Meanwhile, normalcy has since returned to the Federal Secretariat Complex, while investigations into the incident continue.
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