The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC office in Abuja was yesterday gutted by fire. But for the timely intervention of Officials of the Federal Fire Service, the inferno would have razed down the entire office, Premium Times reports.
The fire fighters led by the Sector Commander, Melone Onyekachi, arrived the Wuse 2 office of the Commission when the Service was alerted of the fire by the Incident Duty Officer of the Commission, Kayode Oyetunde, at 1910 hours.
The fire started at the former newsroom which now serves as storage for ICT equipments that were retrieved from the commission’s former offices scattered across the capital city.
The former newsroom is domiciled in the two-storey Costa Hall which was commissioned by Antonio Costa on November 13, 2007. The building currently houses the Data Centre and the Combined Inter Agency Task Force.
When asked what could have caused the fire, Mr. Onyekachi said,
“Our duty is to put off the fire; that we have successfully done. There is another department that will come and ascertain the cause of the fire”, he explained.
Two officers attached to the Combined Inter-Agency Task force who were trapped on the second floor of the building were successfully rescued before the fire was eventually subdued. The extent of the damage would be ascertained after stock taking.
The Commission’s Chief Security Officer, Nasir Abdullahi, immediately after the fire was curtailed, went to the Maitama Police Station to report the fire outbreak.
Policemen from the station who followed him to the commission, however, promised to return for further enquiry.
Management and officers of the commission who were on ground to concertedly subdue the fire were: the Supervisory Secretary, Chile Okoroma; Director, Finance and Accounts, Jubril Manigi; Zonal Head of Operation, Mohammed Rabo; DD, Admin, N.T Ibrahim; Head of Legal, Kabir Latona; Head of ICT, Isah J. Abdullahi among others.
