Fire destroys trucks at EFCC exhibit dump

Fire has destroyed an unconfirmed number of trucks parked at a facility of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

The incident occurred on Monday morning at an exhibit dump of the anti-graft agency located at Iriebi in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of the state.

EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, disclosed this on Tuesday in a statement in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The statement read: “There was a fire incident at the exhibit dump of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, located at Iriebi, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Monday, March 14, 2022.

“The incident which occurred in the early hours of the day, affected most of the trucks parked in the facility before the fire was put out by men of the Federal Fire Service.”

Read Also:Nigeria lost N3trn to fire outbreaks in 2021-Minister

The statement said  the Secretary to the EFCC, Dr George Ekpungu, has visited the scene of the incident for an on-the-spot assessment.

Ekpungu who was at the facility on Tuesday said the anti-graft agency has commenced an investigation into the incident.

He explained that this became necessary to determine the cause of the inferno and ensure measures were put in place to safeguard all exhibit dumps of the EFCC across the country.

The fire broke out at the facility hours before the Port Harcourt Zonal Command of the commission said it has taken over a metal barge – Kanye, a tugboat – MV BONNY RIVER, five crew members, and a DAF truck with registration number JEG 206 XB.

The crew members as well as the tugboat and other items were handed over to the EFCC on Monday by the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder at Rumuolumeni in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The suspects, Victor Elias, Lawrence Atteng, Promise Barykpe, Kingsley Onatie, and Israel Praise God, were arrested aboard the tugboat for allegedly dealing in petroleum products without the requisite licence.