The Rivers State Government has confirmed that an electrical fault was responsible for the fire that razed part of the state secretariat complex on Monday, destroying property worth millions of naira.
Speaking to journalists in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Head of Service, Dr. (Mrs.) Inyingi Brown, said the inferno broke out on the ground floor of the Podium Block, which houses several government offices, including the Rivers State Pension Board.
She confirmed that no lives were lost in the incident, attributing the quick containment of the fire to the prompt intervention of firefighters from multiple agencies.
“From the preliminary report we received, the fire was caused by an electrical fault. But we thank God that no life was lost and no medical incident was recorded,” Dr. Brown said.
She commended the swift response of the Rivers State Fire Service, as well as the support from the Federal Fire Service and the Nigerian military, whose personnel and trucks assisted in putting out the blaze.
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“It was a combined effort, and the fire has been contained. We thank His Excellency for being proactive in rehabilitating the state fire service before now; otherwise, the situation would have been worse,” she added.
Dr. Brown noted that the incident had caused significant damage to government property and important documents but stressed that the government was already assessing the extent of the losses and would take measures to prevent a recurrence.
She used the opportunity to remind civil servants of the need to exercise caution with electrical appliances and ensure that all devices are switched off at the close of work.
“I want to urge all staff to be vigilant and to make sure that every electrical appliance is turned off before leaving their offices. We must all take responsibility for our safety and that of government property,” she advised.
Eyewitnesses at the scene reported that thick smoke was seen billowing from the building around 10:30 a.m., sparking panic among workers and visitors within the complex. Firefighters reportedly arrived within minutes and battled the flames for over an hour before bringing the situation under control.
Some civil servants who spoke to reporters praised the coordinated response of emergency teams, noting that the damage could have been far worse if not for the intervention.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who has been rehabilitating fire service stations across the state, was also commended for strengthening emergency response capacity in public institutions.
As of press time, government officials said investigations were still ongoing to determine the full extent of the damage and assess safety conditions before affected offices could resume operations.