N9.4bn Property Lost to Inferno in Q1 2021, Says Fire Service CG

By Michael Olugbode

Property worth over N9.4 billion were lost to fire in the first quarter of 2021, the Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, Dr. Liman Ibrahim has said.

The Controller General who addressed a press conference on Wednesday in Abuja, said the N9.4 billion loss was at variance with the loss of N32.1 billion in the whole of 2020.

Liman, while lamenting that the reason behind the spike in 2021 figures was because of a significant number of industrial fire, however disclosed an estimated property of N3.7 trillion were saved from fire destruction in the first quarter of 2021.

He said: “In 2020, the Service attended to 3,555 reported fire calls and 353 rescue emergencies, 1,100 lives were saved while 147 were lost.

“Estimated property saved N1.351 trillion and an estimated property loss of N32.12 billion.”

He revealed that however in the first quarter of 2021, there were “986 reported fire calls, 34 rescue emergencies, 165 lives saved and 11 lives lost with an estimated property saved of N3.7 trillion and an estimated property lost worth N9.42 billion.”

The Controller General who said the target was to have a Federal Fire Service Station in each of the 109 senatorial districts, said 72 more stations would be built to meet this.

He disclosed that presently the Federal Fire Service was constructing seven metropolitan fire stations in all the geopolitical zones and Abuja, with the projects at different completion stages.

Liman also disclosed that: “We have also established eight National Fire Data Repository Centers (NFDRC) across the six geopolitical zones to enhance speedy response to emergency calls.”

He lamented that though the Service has enjoyed a great deal of financial support from the federal government, more fund is needed to improve it’s service delivery.

He said fund are needed to build more capacity, completion of on-going projects, provision of chemicals and ancillary equipment, provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), fuel and lubricants, office consumables, improvements of ICT gadgets and infrastructure, improvements of equipment holding, among others.

He disclosed that: “In order to drive professionalism and strive towards best world practices, the Service is pushing to fully develop its Fire Investigation Unit, which translates to a need for more security for such officers in the event that the fire emanated from an arsonist. Coupled with the harassment of our staff at fire scenes by mob action, the Service is proposing to have an arms bearing unit (Fire Police) who will be saddled with the responsibility of protecting our personnel at fire scenes and investigation grounds from hoodlums and miscreants with ulterior motives (arsonists).”

He alleged that those that frequently attacked his men on the excuse of coming late to scenes of fire incidents were miscreants prevented from looting because of the presence of fire service officers.

He however warned that any community where his men were attacked would be blacklisted, and cases of fire incidents in such would not be attended to.