ABUJA: Following the incessant attacks on firefighters in Mararaba, a city in the state of Nasarawa that borders the Federal Capital Territory FCT, the Comptroller General of the Federal Fire Service FFS, Ibrahim Alhaji Liman has suspended further operations in the city .
The Service’s spokesman, SF Ugo Huan, in a statement on Sunday said the decision to blacklist the city followed the latest attack on firefighting operatives and devices last Thursday.
The statement says; “The Comptroller General of the Federal Fire Service, Dr. Liman Alhaji Ibrahim MIFireE has strongly condemned the attack on the Service men in Mararaba in the state of Nasarawa.
“The sad event took place on Thursday, January 7, 2021, in the village of Aku behind the police post in Mararaba, Nasarawa state.
“The Federal Fire Service Nyanya Station in the FCT which is near Mararaba in Nasarawa state received a fire call at 11:50 am and responded quickly, arriving in the area at 11:55 am.
“Efforts to reach the fire site were unsuccessful as a mob with clubs and dangerous weapons attacked the fire truck and firefighters upon sighting them, causing firefighters to suffer varying degrees of injuries and the fire truck’s windshield be seriously damaged.
“The crowd was already mobilizing to burn the truck, but the driver was able to quickly take it to a nearby police station.
“Since then, the incident has been reported to the police and the police have ensured that everyone involved will be arrested and face the full wrath of the law.
“The Comptroller General is saddened by the incessant attack on firefighters in areas like Mararaba in Nasarawa state every time they respond to calls for fire. Therefore, it has ordered that firefighters from now on do not respond to fire calls in the Mararaba area of Nasarawa state and other areas known for this barbaric act, as the Service cannot afford to risk the lives of its men and expose their expensive trucks to destruction.
