Federal Secretariat fire: No serious damage — Ministry

The fire that engulfed the Federal Secretariat on Saturday did not cause any substantial damage, the Ministry of Health, which was affected, said in a statement.

The ministry said after assessing the outbreak, it was clear that there was no damage to any government property.

PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported that the Federal Secretariat building in Abuja was on fire and that the building housing the Federal Ministry of Health was affected.

The statement, signed by director, media and public relations in the ministry, Boade Akinola, said the fire was caused by an electric spark from cables and wires which resulted in a small fire on the corridor of the third floor, wing B of the Federal Ministry of Health Headquarters Saturday morning.

Mrs. Akinola said the inferno had been contained as the private security outfit in charge of the premises swung into action and also contacted the fire service which responded immediately and put off the fire.

One of the security guards at the complex told PREMIUM TIMES that the fire started “at a corridor where some items are kept and we used the water pipe within the building to quench it”.

He said Fire Service and personnel of the National Emergency Management Agency “did not do much, other that to ensure everything was in order before they left”.