Update: Cause of fire in Finance Ministry headquarters identified, damage estimated

The Federal Fire Service (FFS) said the huge smoke emanating from the Federal Ministry of Finance located in the Central Business District, Abuja on Wednesday morning was caused by a spark on inverter batteries.

The FFS Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr Paul Abraham, confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

“To firefighters, there could be a smoke without fire but to civilians, every smoke is caused by fire,” Abraham said.

He said that when the service received a report of the fire outbreak, it deployed a team to the ministry to put the fire under control.

“We got the call at about 7 a.m. and immediately sent our men from three stations – Garki, Federal Secretariat and Wuse.

“The situation is totally under control and did not disturb the business of the day,’’ he said.

Similarly, the spokesman for the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mr Olajide Oshundun, also confirmed that it was only the battery room in the ministry that was affected.

Oshundun told newsmen at the ministry that the fire emanated from an exploded battery which affected16 other batteries.

“Only the battery room compartment at the basement of the ministry was affected; the fire did not affect any other part of the ministry

“Necessary alarm was raised and the fire was put under control in about 20 minutes later,’’ Oshundu said