James Danjuma, Katsina
Parts of the Katsina State House of Assembly complex has been gutted by fire, with offices and office equipment mostly affected.
Sources familiar with the incident said the fire raged for about three hours before it was eventually put off by firemen.
One of the sources said that the fire started at “about 6.30 p.m on Sunday apparently due to high power voltage in one of the affected offices.
“The firemen called to put it off were here for almost four hours before the fire was eventually put off late at night.
“Items destroyed were electrical appliances, furniture and documents,” the source added.
Efforts by newsmen to access the complex yesterday were unsuccessful as assembly officials restricted movements to the affected offices.
They also rebuffed attempts to take pictures and record video.
According to one of the officials, “We have been directed not to allow any pictures or videos of the affected offices taken.”
The incident comes some eight months after parts of the complex was gutted by an inferno, exactly on April 21, 2021.
Items burnt or destroyed at the time included furnitures inside the upper legislative chambers, the plain glasses used to partition parts of the chamber, POP ceilings as well as electrical fittings and appliances.
The assembly complex had been undergoing extensive renovation before the second fire incident on Sunday.
The Speaker of the Assembly, Hon. Tasi’u Magari confirmed the incident to newsmen on Tuesday.
Maigari said that the fire incident which occured Sunday night, affected the office of the Clerk of the assembly, that of his deputy and the legislative common room.
He said that the fire started at about 6.30 p.m on Sunday, but that men of the Fire Service were able to quickly intervene and prevented it from spreading beyond affected offices.
He said said a committee would be constituted on Wednesday to investigate circumstances surrounding the incident, amongst other details.
The House, which is on recess is expected to resume for plenary next month.
