Fire, on Monday, gutted the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, quarter located at Kubwa, Abuja.
The outbreak, which started about 10 am, reportedly affected six apartments formerly used by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The building is located around the Phase 4 area of the satellite town.
Witnesses said a team of fire fighters with four trucks struggled for more than an hour before bringing the fire under control.
One of the victims, Hajara Maryam, who was to wed out her daughter next Friday, said all their belongings, with the exception of cushions chairs, were consumed by the inferno.
“We have already started receiving guests from our hometown for the event” she lamented, adding that she can’t say whether the marriage will go on as scheduled.
A resident of the neighbourhood and volunteer in fighting the fire, Ja’afar Sani, said the fire started from a flat close to the house’s entrance and moved to the remaining five buildings.
“We tried to put out the fire manually before one fire truck came. The driver of the truck left to get more water and returned with three more trucks before they were able to bring the fire under control,’’ he said.
Owner of a shop attached to the house, Okoye Steven, said the only building spared by the incident was his shop, which is situated adjacent to the gate of the compound.
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Kubwa, CSP Paul Lazarus, who was seen controlling the crowd and traffic with his team, said no life was lost in the incident. [Daily Trust]
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