From Ngozi Onyeakusi, Lagos
The 13-story building housing the Lagos office of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) located on Customs Street on the Lagos Island was yesterday evening almost razed by fire.
According to a staff of the bank, the fire which started after the close of work around 5.40pm was sparked by a power upsurge in the branch supporting office located in on the first floor of the building.
The fire in the 50-year old building, which stands close to the new yet-to-be commissioned building, was eventually subdued by the joint effort of the federal and state fire services.
According to the spokesperson of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Lagos, Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, the fire was contained and “completely under control”, adding that firemen were “clamping down the offices by breaking the windows and doors to check if any smaller fire is ongoing”. The CBN, in a statement signed by the Head of Corporate Communications, Mr. Isaac A. Okorafor, confirmed that the fire broke out on the first floor of the bank building, at about 5.30 pm, saying it was promptly put out by a combined team of fire fighters from the apex bank and other institutions.
The statement said” “We wish to assure our numerous stakeholders that the records of the Bank are intact, as the Bank has an effective backup of all its records, as part of our disaster recovery infrastructure.”
