Angry mob on Saturday attacked the Federal Ministry of Works and the Federal Fire Service over failure to quench fire that engulfed the multi billion naira ‘P — LINK’, an electrical and electronics super store in Lokoja, Kogi state capital.
The super store located on the popular IBB road in the state capital is alleged to have gutted fire following intermittent power outages at about 10.30 pm and continued to burn till the next day , despite efforts of sympathisers and volunteers.
Irked by the absence of fire fighters from both the state and federal fire fighters, some youth constituted themselves in to a mob and launched an attack on the Federal Ministry of Works situated directly opposite the scene of the inferno.
Both the Federal Ministry of Works and Fire Service which happen to be in the same premises were vandalised and property worth millions of naira including office equipments were allegedly destroyed.
The mob was also alleged to have uprooted the pole hoisting the national flag and went ahead to shatter the window pales of the mosque in the federal ministry’s Lokoja office.
All efforts to reach the Kogi state Commissioner of works, Engineer Abubakar Ohere, or other relevant officials of state ministry of works to comment on the incident and the alleged failure to discharge their responsibility and raid on the federal Ministry of works tailed as all phone calls were not answered.
However, officials of the federal ministry of works and fire service have confirmed the attack and vandalization of their facilities by the suspected mob,whom, they alleged acted in ignorance .
The officials who spoke under conditions of anonymity, said normally the federal fire service in the state is to compliment the state fire service, but was handicapped due to breakdown of its machines.
“It is true that irate mob attacked the federal fire service in Lokoja over the fire incident that raised down the P — Link super store, but it is on record that the federal fire service has always performed its duties, until when our vehicle got damaged due to an accident in the course of duty and has been taken to Abuja for repairs. This office should not take blame for the unfortunate incident”, the official stated.
The owner of the mall, Mr Peter Ojuneme, who expressed shock over the unfortunate incident, thanked the people of Lokoja and the Kogi state as a whole for their support, sympathy and encouragement, calling on relevant agencies to investigate the cause of the inferno to avert future occurrence, not only to him, but others.
