INEC HQ, CAC – Five Mysterious Fire That Has Targeted Government Offices Since The Lockdown

Nigerians have been concerned about the breakout of COVID-19 in the country which has

If you have been keeping tabs on contents Naija News has been bringing your way, some government offices in the federal capital territory (FCT) which witnessed fire outbreaks recently would not be new to you.

In 19 days, many government institutions in the nation’s capital have not effectively functioned owing to a sit-at-home order by the president.

On March 29, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered a two-week lockdown of  the FCT, Lagos and Ogun states to contain the spread of COVID-19.

He further extended the lockdown last Monday in a live broadcast, following the increase in the number of cases being recorded in the country.

But in the lockdown, fire outbreaks have become rife. Properties at three government offices have been gutted, and these events have set tongues wag.

There have also been fire incidents at a market in Oyo and at an internally-displaced-persons (IDPs) camp in Borno.

OFFICE OF ACCOUNTANT-GENERAL FIRE

Recall that on the 8th of April, Treasury House, a building housing the office of the accountant-general of the federation (AGF) was gutted by fire.

The fire was however quelled after an hour by the Federal Fire Service.

Clem Agba, minister of state for budget, later told journalists that no financial record was lost in the inferno.

CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FIRE INCIDENT

Eight days later on April 15, the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) headquarters in the Maitama district of Abuja was also engulfed in fire.

Reports reaching us had said the fire was caused by an electrical fault from one of the air conditioners in the building.

The firefighters were again able to save the day, extinguishing the fire. But this was not the end.

INEC FIRE INCIDENT

On April 17, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters also caught fire.

Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, INEC director of publicity and voter education, said the fire only affected the office of the director of “election and party monitoring” in the building.

Ozaze-Uzzi said nothing vital was destroyed.

These events have raised questions regarding the maintenance culture of the civil servants in these offices. Details of the worth of the properties destroyed in the fire are still unknown.

DUGBE MARKET INFERNO

The same day the CAC fire incident happened, goods worth millions of naira were burnt in an inferno that swept through Dugbe market in Ibadan, Oyo state capital.

A spark from a welder’s shop was said to have ignited the fire. And after about two hours of raging, the inferno was extinguished.

“14 DIE” IN IDP CAMP FIRE

In another tragic event, an inferno reportedly claimed the lives of 14 people at an internally-displaced-persons (IDPs) camp in Ngala local government area of Borno state on April 16.

The shelter of the IDPs was also destroyed. The president later ordered a probe of the incident.

These fire incidents happened just within 10 days.