Nigeria’s seat of government not gutted by fire – Presidency
The seat of the Nigerian government, Aso Rock Presidential Villa, is not on fire, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, has said.
In a statement on Sunday, Shehu, in a swift response to calls from within and outside the country, there was no iota of truth in the reports of fire in the Villa, clarifying what happened in a statement sent to The DEFENDER.
“People in the country and even abroad have been expressing concerns over reports of a fire incident in Aso Rock Villa, the seat of the Nigerian government.
“I would like to clarify that there was no fire inside the Presidential Villa.
“In the evening of Saturday, March 6, a fire broke out burning shrubs between the outer wire fence and walls surrounding the Villa, precisely in the area between the Villa and the Barracks, towards Asokoro.
“The fire, as being speculated, might have started from a passerby dropping a burning cigarette. The Federal Fire Service will ascertain the reason for it when they complete their investigation.
“It suffices to say that this bush fire, which started and ended outside the perimeter walls of the Villa, was seamlessly contained by fire stations of the State House and the one nearby from the Federal Fire Service. No loss of life, no loss whatsoever to building and property was recorded.
“We thank well-meaning Nigerians for expressed concerns,” the statement said.
