Yayale orders probe of fire outbreak at Ship House

Chris Agbambu, Abuja - 28.01.2008

Minister of Defence, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, is to set up a high-powered investigative panel to probe the circumstances surrounding the outbreak of the fire that ravaged the storeroom behind the main building of Ship House on Saturday.

The spokesman of the Ministry, Adedeji Ajibade, in a statement in Abuja on Sunday, said that the fire broke out on Saturday in a storeroom behind the main building of the Defence Headquarters, Ship House, Abuja, at about 3.00p.m.

According to him, a combination of senior military and civilian officers of the ministry immediately called the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) fire service, Federal Fire Service, Julius Berger fire service and the fire service of the military who put out the fire.

He said though, the immediate cause of the fire had not been ascertained, it was observed that a bush fire at the back of the perimeter fence of the defence building must have spilled over to the store which is close to the fence.

Ajibade added that items which were burnt were mainly obsolete furniture and non-security items.