Kogi gas fire explosion razes residential building, shops
Property worth millions of naira were reported to have been destroyed by a gas induced fire explosion that rocked a residential building hosting a set of shops within the Jamata community in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The fire incident was said to have occurred on Wednesday night when a gas cylinder exploded in one of the shops below the building, causing a massive fire outbreak that completely razed the building.
The Executive Secretary of the Kogi State Emergency Management Agency, Alhaji Muktar Atimah, disclosed this incident on Thursday, shorty after visiting the victims of the explosion in company of the
Lokoja Local Government Chairman, Abdullahi Ademu, and other management team of SEMA.
The ES told Arewa PUNCH that the visit was “to show the commitment of the state government led by His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo towards the welfare as well as security of it’s citizens, hence the immediate response to disasters within the state.”
He disclosed that “Property and goods worth millions of naira were consumed in the inferno and a large number of people displaced from their homes.”
He assured the victims that the government would stand with them during this trying time, further assuring that the government would support the victims in every way it can.
During the assessment visit, the Lokoja LG boss donated the sum of N1m to the victims while promising to continue to support them and the community at large in many other ways.
The Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, who was represented by the Assembly Member representing Lokoja 1, Hon. Tijanni Ebayo, while also sympathising with the victims, assured them that “the government support would come and timely too.”
The Royal Father of the Jamata community, HRH Mall. Ibrahim Okura Mammud appreciated the efforts of the state government through SEMA, saying the people of Jamata have faith and maintain confidence in the Ododo-led administration in the state
Equally on the entourage were the Special Adviser to the Governor on State Emergency Management Agency, Dr Sandra Musa, and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Emergency Management Alhaji Shuaibu Mohammed.
