A fire broke out at the Supreme Court of Nigeria on Monday morning but was quickly extinguished, with no casualties reported.
According to Festus Akande, the court’s public relations officer, the fire started in one of the chambers of the justices and was caused by an electrical fault. Akande said that the fire was put out using fire extinguishers and that no casualties were reported.
A source who spoke to CHANNELSTV on condition of anonymity said that the fire started around 6 a.m. Cleaners on duty and workers who had arrived early for work detected the fire and raised the alarm. They were able to extinguish the fire before it spread further.
Read also: Fire guts Supreme Court
The fire damaged three offices, including that of Justice Mohammed Saulawa. The damage’s extent is unknown, but Akande said that the court is still operational.
The fire comes just weeks after the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, and his Labour Party, LP, counterpart, Peter Obi, sent petitions against President Bola Tinubu’s election to the Supreme Court.
The fire is also a reminder of the infrastructure challenges facing Nigeria. The country’s public buildings are often dilapidated and poorly maintained, and fires are not uncommon.
