A fire broke out in the early hours of Sunday at the Police Mobile Force (PMF) Squadron 13 office in Old Government Reservation Area (GRA), Makurdi, Benue State.
The inferno, which reportedly began around 3:00 a.m., destroyed critical sections of the building, including the armoury and the office of the Squadron Commander.
According to an eyewitness, the blaze started at the rear of the facility, near the Makurdi branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), before quickly spreading.
“The fire triggered serious panic in the area because you could hear loud sounds of ammunition exploding. People were scared and didn’t know what was happening,” the eyewitness said.
“No one could really tell what caused the fire, but the general impression is that it may have been due to an electrical surge. The fire started around 3:00 a.m. and spread very fast.
“The troubling part was the armoury. You could hear repeated explosions as ammunition ignited, and it became extremely risky for anyone to go near the place.”
Personnel from the Benue State Fire Service were eventually deployed to the scene and battled the blaze for several hours before bringing it under control.
By the time the fire was extinguished, large portions of the facility had been destroyed, with property, including arms and operational materials, reportedly lost.
Udeme Edet, the police public relations officer, confirmed the incident, saying: “Yes, I am aware of the fire outbreak at the PMF Squadron 13 facility in Makurdi, but I will get back to you.”
