Mr. Ibrahim Tauheed, the spokesperson for the FCT Fire Department, confirmed that there were no reported casualties when a fire engulfed the well-known Samsung Headquarters situated near Banex Junction in Wuse 2, Abuja. Tauheed conveyed this information in a statement issued on Tuesday in the capital city of Abuja.

According to him, “when the fire gutted the building, one Mrs Ngozi, the owner of Mozini Spa, situated behind Furniture House, made a distress call to him at 7:38 pm.

He explained that the fire, which was commercial in nature, engulfed a two-storey building filled with Samsung products.

The spokesman explained further that preliminary investigation indicated that the fire resulted from careless welding activities near a pile of empty, combustible cartons.

He said that Asokoro Fire Station was the first to arrive at the scene at 7:43 p.m. However, they faced hostility from some hoodlums who started pelting their fire truck with stones.

“So, to ensure the safety of the firefighters and their equipment, the leader of the crew, DSF Ahmed Katsina, directed the driver to take an alternate route to Ahmadu Bello Way and alerted the police control room. Upon the arrival of the Nigeria Police personnel, they fired shots in the air and used tear gas to disperse the unruly crowd.

“Allowing firefighters to commence their firefighting efforts, but regrettably, the delay caused the fire to intensify and spread throughout the building.

“Nevertheless, concerted efforts were made to prevent it from spreading to nearby structures and the nearby filling station.”

Many had anticipated that the fire would extend to neighboring structures and the nearby filling station. However, through the combined efforts of multiple fire stations and agencies, this potential disaster was averted.

Notably, the fire raged on for a duration exceeding six hours, from 7:38 pm on November 6 to 01:37 am on November 7, before it was eventually subdued. In the meantime, both the Federal Fire Service and FCT Fire Service had a dedicated station each on standby throughout the night.

The Acting Director of FCT Fire Service, Engr. Zacchaeus Adebayo, closely oversaw the firefighting operations right from the outset until the fire was successfully brought under control. He commended the unwavering dedication of the firefighters and pledged to promptly enhance their operational conditions.