JUST IN: Fire breaks out at Head of Service secretariat in Abuja

A section of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation building in Abuja was gutted by fire on Monday, March 9.

The cause of the fire was yet to the ascertained as at time of this report.

The fire outbreak caused heavy traffic congestion around the Federal Secretariat, forcing many commuters to trek to their destinations.

Also, some passengers in commercial vehicles had to continue their journey on foot due to the road restrictions and the buildup of traffic.

Viral videos on social media platforms, especially X (formerly Twitter) showed a dense black smoke rising from one wing of the structure, reportedly located at Section C of the building within the Federal Secretariat complex.

Officials of the Federal Fire Service were immediately deployed to the scene following reports of the incident.

Confirming the development, the Public Relations Officer of the Federal Fire Service, Paul Abraham, said the agency received a distress call at about 8:20 a.m. and promptly mobilized firefighters to contain the blaze.

According to him, firefighters from the Garki and Wuse stations responded swiftly and were able to bring the fire under control.

“We were contacted around 8:20 a.m. Presently, the fire is under control. The men of the Federal Fire Service from the Garki and Wuse stations turned out and we have been able to put the fire under control,” he said.

Source: THE NATION