A fire outbreak on Monday ravaged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) quarters located in Kubwa, Abuja, destroying six apartments and leaving residents counting their losses.
The inferno, which began around 10 a.m., occurred at the Phase 4 area of the satellite town. Witnesses reported that firefighters struggled for over an hour to bring the situation under control, despite the deployment of four fire trucks.
Hajara Maryam, one of the victims, lamented the loss of all her belongings, except for a few cushion chairs. Maryam, who was preparing for her daughter’s wedding scheduled for Friday, expressed uncertainty over the ceremony. “We have already started receiving guests from our hometown for the event,” she said, visibly distraught.
According to Ja’afar Sani, a resident who assisted in battling the fire, the outbreak started from an apartment near the building’s entrance and quickly spread to the adjoining five flats. “We tried to put out the fire manually before the firefighters arrived. One fire truck initially came, but the driver had to leave to refill with water and returned with three more trucks before they finally brought the flames under control,” Sani recounted.
Meanwhile, Okoye Steven, who owns a shop adjacent to the affected compound, revealed that his shop was the only structure spared by the fire.
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Kubwa, CSP Paul Lazarus, confirmed that no lives were lost in the incident. He, alongside his team, was seen managing traffic and controlling the crowd at the scene.
Residents have called for improved emergency response systems to prevent further incidents of this nature. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.
