Makurdi — A mysterious fire outbreak in the early hours of Sunday razed the Police Mobile Force (PMF) Squadron 13 office located around the Old Government Reservation Area (GRA) in Makurdi, Benue State, destroying key facilities within the command.
The inferno, which reportedly started at about 3:00 a.m., affected critical sections of the building, including the ammunition store (armoury) and the office of the Squadron Commander, raising serious security concerns in the area.
An eyewitness told reporters that the fire began from the rear section of the building, a stone’s throw from the Makurdi branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), before rapidly spreading to other parts of the facility.
According to the eyewitness, the incident threw residents of the neighbourhood into panic as repeated loud explosions from the armoury caused fear and confusion.
“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.
He added that although the exact cause of the fire could not immediately be determined, there were speculations that it may have been triggered by a power surge from the public electricity supply.
“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,” he said.
The situation, he noted, became increasingly dangerous as the armoury was engulfed by flames, making it impossible for residents or passersby to move close to the area.
“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,” he added.
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