Confusion over firefighting trucks as fire razes Niger Government House, destroys sensitive documents

The Office of the Permanent Secretary in the Niger State Government House was on Tuesday destroyed by fire, following an electrical fault in the building.

Renovation works were reportedly ongoing at the office when the fire broke out at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Office equipment, valuables and sensitive documents were destroyed by the inferno.

It was observed that was no fire fighting truck at the state government house.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Niger Governor, Mrs. Mary Berje, who confirmed the incident, said the fire fighting trucks in the government house were taken out for routine maintenance.

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The Deputy Controller in the Niger State Fire Service, Salihu Bello, who spoke to journalists after the incident, said the quick intervention of the firefighters helped to reduce the damages.

He added that lack of fire fighting truck in the government house was not intentional as arrangements were ongoing to station a fire fighting truck in the complex.

“We have our personal firefighting truck stationed here to respond to any emergency,” he said.

Bello said that the fire fighting trucks used to put out the fire were brought from the various fire service stations in Minna.

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