By Ghazali Ibrahim
A fire outbreak on Monday morning affected a section of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation at the Federal Secretariat complex in Abuja, forcing workers to evacuate parts of the building and prompting an emergency response from fire officials.
The incident, which reportedly started around 8:00 a.m., saw thick plumes of dark smoke billowing from one of the upper floors of the multi-storey structure, drawing attention from workers and commuters in the area.
Emergency responders, including personnel of the Federal Fire Service, were quickly deployed to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to other sections of the building.
Officials confirmed that the fire was confined to Section C of the Head of Service building, a part of the complex that houses offices within the federal civil service headquarters.
Staff members and visitors were seen leaving the premises as firefighters battled the flames.
The fire also triggered significant traffic disruption around the Federal Secretariat area, with some roads temporarily restricted as emergency teams carried out firefighting operations.
Many commuters were forced to trek to their destinations due to the resulting gridlock.
A fire service official confirmed that personnel were deployed immediately after authorities received a distress call about the incident.
According to the official, firefighters were working to contain the blaze and ensure it did not spread further within the complex.
As of the time of filing this report, authorities had not confirmed the exact cause of the fire.
However, preliminary indications suggest the possibility of an electrical fault or power surge, though investigators are expected to conduct a full assessment once the situation is completely brought under control.
There were no immediate reports of casualties, but officials said further details on the extent of damage would be released after emergency responders conclude their operations and a post-incident evaluation is completed.
