A devastating fire swept through a residential property in Abuja on Saturday afternoon, leaving a trail of destruction in the upscale Asokoro area of the Federal Capital Territory. The blaze destroyed four out of five blocks of three-bedroom flats, consuming household items and valuables estimated to be worth millions of naira.

The affected building, located at No. 13 Nelson Mandela Street, is said to belong to a former governor of Zamfara State, Senator Ahmed Yerima. Witnesses said the fire was first spotted on the solar panels installed on the rooftop before it rapidly spread to other parts of the structure, overwhelming most of the flats within a short time.

According to officials of the FCT Emergency Management Department (FEMD), the incident was reported at about 1:00 pm, triggering an immediate emergency response. FEMD’s Head of Public Affairs, Nkechi Isa, confirmed that rescue teams were promptly mobilised to the scene to control the situation.

Further explaining the extent of the damage, the Head of FEMD’s Search and Rescue Team, Monday Addie, disclosed that the four affected flats were completely gutted by the fire. He noted that furniture, clothing, food items and other personal belongings were lost in the inferno. However, he added that the timely intervention of emergency responders ensured that no lives were lost and prevented the fire from spreading to nearby buildings.

Emergency personnel from FEMD, the Federal Fire Service, the FCT Fire Service, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the FCT Police Command worked together to put out the fire and secure the area.