A devastating fire tore through a section of the Rivers State Secretariat Complex in Port Harcourt on Monday evening, October 6, reducing several government offices to rubble and prompting swift evacuations amid billowing smoke and chaos.
The blaze, which engulfed the Podium Block, a key 10-storey structure in the complex, started around 7:00 PM, according to eyewitness accounts and initial reports from state officials.
Thick plumes of black smoke were visible across the city, forcing hundreds of civil servants and visitors to flee the premises in panic.
Firefighters from the Rivers State Fire Service rushed to the scene, battling the inferno for several hours before containing it late into the night.
Dr. (Mrs.) Inyingi S.I. Brown, Head of the Rivers State Civil Service, confirmed the incident in a briefing to journalists at the site, attributing the cause to an electrical fault.
"There were no casualties, thank God," she said, emphasizing that the fire primarily affected the right wing of the ground floor, including offices of the Rivers State Pension Board and other administrative units.
Properties worth millions of naira, including documents, computers, and furniture, were destroyed, though the full extent of the damage is still being assessed.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who visited the scene shortly after the fire was extinguished, expressed shock and solidarity with affected workers.
In a statement released Tuesday morning, Fubara described the incident as a "setback" but pledged immediate action: "We will not allow this tragedy to derail the progress of our administration. Rehabilitation work on the affected sections will commence without delay to restore full operations."
He also directed the state emergency management agency to provide temporary workspaces for displaced staff and support for any losses.
The Rivers State Secretariat Complex, a cluster of five high-rise buildings including the 17-storey Point Block, has long been a symbol of administrative functionality in the oil-rich Niger Delta state.
No foul play has been suspected at this stage, but investigations are underway by state authorities to pinpoint the exact cause and prevent future occurrences.
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