By Stanley Onyekwere
The FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), has said no death or looting was recorded from the Christmas Boxing Day fire that engulfed the Next Cash and Carry mega shopping mall in Kado District of Abuja, due to the synergy and collaborations among the emergency responders.
Briefing newsman at the scene of the incident, the Director General of FEMA, Alhaji Abbas Idriss disclosed that immediately the Agency got to the scene of the incident, the security agencies cordoned off the area and fire fighting began.
He said: “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.”
On the cause of the fire incident, Idriss said that investigations were on goings to ascertain the immediate cause of the fire.
He however, appealed to business owners to factor in risk element in their business plans, noting that the fire trucks were hampered by access within the shopping mall.
Meanwhile, the FCT Administration has assured that a thorough investigation will be conducted to ascertain the cause of the fire incident, as part of effort to prevent a reoccurrence in any other business establishment within the FCT.
Making this assertion yesterday, the Minister of the FCT, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello expressed shock and deep sadness over the fire incident.
Bello, in a statement from the Chief Press Secretary, Anthony Ogunleye, on behalf of the FCT Administration and the entire residents of the FCT commiserated with the management and staff of the supermarket and the FCT business community over the development.
Also, 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 FEMA, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Security agencies and other responders for their efforts in containing the blaze.
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