The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has said it will launch an investigation into Sunday's inferno at Next Cash and Carry shopping mall with goods estimated at billions of naira lost. The Shopping mall in the Jahi district reportedly went up in flames between 6 am and 8 am, unfortunately, the in-house Fire Service truck was faulty. Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Anthony Ogunleye expressed shock and sadness over the incident, saying the Administration will commence a probe into the incident.
“The Minister commended the FCT Fire Service, the Federal Fire Service, the Fire Service Departments of the Nigerian Navy, Air Force, Guards Brigade and Julius Berger Nig. PLC that responded with their fire-fighting equipment.
“He equally commended the FCT FEMA, the National Emergency Management Agency, Security agencies and other responders for their efforts in containing the blaze.
“Malam Bello also assured that a thorough investigation will be conducted to ascertain the cause of the fire incident in an effort to prevent a reoccurrence in any other business establishment within the FCT”, the statement added.
Speaking on the incident, Director, Forecasting Response Mitigation in the FCT Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, Mrs Florence Wenegieme said the immediately the agency recieved the distress call, it “activated all responders including the Federal Fire Service, FCT Fire Service, FCT police Command, Department of State Services, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, National Emergency Management Agency and the armed forces”.
“Others were Julius Berger, NNPC , and other private corporate entities in the Federal Capital City FCC”, she added.
She reiterated that the Director-General of FEMA, Alhaji Abbas Idriss dismissed reports of looting at the fire incident.
He said “Immediately the agency got to the scene of the incident, the Security cordoned the area and fire fighting began. There was no looting whatsoever as being speculated by some people in the Social Media.
“What we saw on social media was staff of Next Cash and Carry trying to salvage the goods using trolleys. Nothing was taken out of the premises”, the DG said.
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