Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, expressed his outrage on Friday over the actions of the Abia Fire Service personnel in Aba, who reportedly turned off their phones as a two-storey building was consumed by fire on Tuesday night. The fire destroyed millions of naira worth of cash and property.
The two flats on the second floor of the building, located at 73 Lagos Street off Ngwa Road, Aba, were completely engulfed in flames. Efforts by Chukwunenye Anajemba, Head of the Abia State Fire Service and Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Homeland Security, to mobilize water trucks from Umuahia late into the night proved unsuccessful, as the fire service personnel in Aba could not be reached.
In response to the incident, Governor Otti, who visited the site of the fire, ordered a thorough investigation into the cause of the blaze and the failure of the fire service officers to respond promptly. He was particularly alarmed that fire service personnel had turned off their phones, making them unreachable during the crisis.
Describing the incident as deeply unfortunate, Otti emphasized the need for all households to have fire extinguishers and urged an inquiry into the cause of the fire. He added, “It’s unfortunate that the fire service could not arrive in time. They normally respond within ten minutes, so I’m perplexed by the delay in this case. I’ve instructed an investigation into why the fire service officers’ phones were switched off during the fire. They are not supposed to turn off their phones.”
He further stated, “We’ve invested heavily in equipping them, providing vehicles and resources, and in the past, they have responded efficiently. But in this case, they didn’t. This situation is truly regrettable.”
Governor Otti assured the victims that the government would support them in mitigating their losses and help them find alternative accommodation. He expressed gratitude that no lives were lost in the fire and announced his intention to work with the state House of Assembly to pass a law requiring all households to have fire extinguishers.
Mr. Vincent Uzuegbu, the landlord of the building, and his tenant, Mr. Obinna Obi, along with his wife Ugochi, recounted the terrifying experience. They explained that the fire started around 7:30 p.m. while they were asleep. Ugochi woke the landlord by knocking on his door, and upon opening it, he was confronted with thick smoke and flames. The landlord and his wife managed to escape with only the clothes they were wearing, and the cause of the fire remains unknown.
A tearful Mr. Obinna, who deals in metal scraps, and his wife, Ugochi, shared that they lost everything in the blaze, including N20 million in cash that a client had given her husband for a metal scraps supply. Ugochi described how they fled the house naked, with their children fainting from smoke inhalation, and were covered by neighbors. The landlord, a retiree, is currently staying in a single room provided by a sympathizer, while the tenants are staying with relatives.
Both families appealed to the state government for assistance.