Fire Guts Head of Service Office Building in Abuja

Fire Guts Head of Service Office Building in Abuja

FELICIA ONAH, Abuja 

A fire outbreak on Monday morning engulfed part of the office complex of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation at the Federal Secretariat Abuja, causing panic among workers resuming duty for the week.

Eyewitnesses said thick smoke billowed into the sky from the building as staff and passersby gathered around the premises while waiting for emergency responders to arrive.

Motorists and onlookers were seen slowing down around the secretariat complex in the Abuja central district as the smoke spread across the area.

As of the time of filing this report, personnel of the Federal Fire Service were yet to arrive at the scene to contain the situation.

Some civil servants who had just arrived for work were forced to remain outside the premises as the fire continued to burn inside parts of the building.

A video circulating on social media captured the moment heavy smoke rose from the structure while people around the secretariat watched from a distance.

One of the workers whose office is located in the building confirmed the incident but said the cause of the fire was still unknown.

“Yes, the building is on fire this morning but nobody can say yet what caused it,” the worker said.

The latest incident marks the second time the building has been affected by fire in less than three years. In December 2023, the same office complex was also gutted by a fire outbreak that destroyed parts of the facility.

Authorities are yet to issue an official statement on the latest development as investigations into the cause of the fire are expected to commence.