A devastating fire engulfed the Gombe mobile police barracks, situated at 34 PMF Squadron along Kwami town, Gombe State, on Wednesday.
Confirming the incident in an interview with our correspondent on Thursday, Deputy Controller of Fire and Commanding Officer of the Federal Fire Service, Ayuba Jonah-Sule, revealed that the fire consumed the entire compound, including the armoury and other structures.
Jonah-Sule estimated the loss to be around N100 million, but highlighted that his team managed to salvage approximately N25 million worth of property.
He stated, “The fire affected a 25-bedroom compound covering an area of about 200 by 100 meters. The blaze, extinguished by the use of one medium jet of water, involved efforts from FFS 193, the state fire service, and the Nigeria Police Force. The situation is now under control.”
Additionally, Jonah-Sule mentioned that his team had earlier tackled a fire incident at the Federal Low-Cost area on the same day, specifically at Kwanan Dan Aranga in Gombe State. This fire, which affected a 5-bedroom flat covering an area of about 200 by 200 feet, was also swiftly extinguished.
The recent fire outbreak comes on the heels of another unfortunate incident where Governor Muhammadu Yahaya approved the release of N5 million to aid victims of a fire outbreak at the Blacksmith (Makera) shops in Gombe Main Market on December 25, 2023. The blaze led to substantial destruction of equipment and goods valued at millions of naira.