The FCT Fire Spokesman, Mr Ibrahim Tauheed, says no casualty was recorded as fire gutted the popular Samsung Headquarters located near Banex Junction in Wuse 2, Abuja.
Tauheed made this known in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.
According to him, “when the fire gutted the building, one Mrs Ngozi, the owner of Mozini Spa, situated behind Furniture House, made a distress call to him at 7:38 pm.
He explained that the fire, which was commercial in nature, engulfed a two-storey building filled with Samsung products.
The spokesman explained further that preliminary investigation indicated that the fire resulted from careless welding activities near a pile of empty, combustible cartons.
He said that Asokoro Fire Station was the first to arrive at the scene at 7:43 p.m. However, they faced hostility from some hoodlums who started pelting their fire truck with stones.
“So, to ensure the safety of the firefighters and their equipment, the leader of the crew, DSF Ahmed Katsina, directed the driver to take an alternate route to Ahmadu Bello Way and alerted the police control room. Upon the arrival of the Nigeria Police personnel, they fired shots in the air and used tear gas to disperse the unruly crowd.
“Allowing firefighters to commence their firefighting efforts, but regrettably, the delay caused the fire to intensify and spread throughout the building.
“Nevertheless, concerted efforts were made to prevent it from spreading to nearby structures and the nearby filling station.”
He said that many people had expected that the fire will spread to other buildings and the nearby filling station, but with the combined efforts of multiple stations and agencies, it did not.
Meanwhile, the fire continued to rage for over six hours, from 7:38 pm on Nov. 6, until 01:37 am. on Nov. 7, before it was finally brought under control.
However, both the Federal Fire Service and FCT Fire Service maintained one station each on standby until this morning.
The Acting Director of FCT Fire Service, Engr. Zacchaeus Adebayo, closely monitored the operations from the onset until it was finally brought under control.
He commended the firefighters for their steadfast and commitment and pledged to enhance operational conditions promptly.
