Maj.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division Nigerian Army, has revealed that Nigeria experienced over 2,056 cases of fire incidents in 2022, leading to a loss of over N1 trillion worth of properties. He disclosed this during a fire prevention and management sensitisation seminar, which was held at the Headquarters 1 Division Nigerian Army in Kaduna on Thursday. Brig.-Gen. Ogochukwu Ugeleka represented the GOC during the event.
Lagbaja explained that domestic fire was responsible for over 41% of the total number of fire incidents in neighboring Ghana, based on available data. He added that the seminar was part of the Army’s yearly calendar to engage barracks communities on fire prevention.
The GOC highlighted that fire incidents were on the rise in Nigeria due to factors such as population growth, unstable electricity, negligence, and illegal electrical connections, among others. He further pointed out that the Nigerian Army had also experienced fire incidents that had destroyed property and endangered the lives of personnel and their families in barracks and cantonments.
Lagbaja emphasized that fire incidents had led to the loss of critical operational assets, which had adversely affected the morale of troops and their operational efficiency. He cited an example of the Depot Nigerian Army in Zaria, which was engulfed in fire on January 24, 2021, destroying 15 blocks, as well as several officers and soldiers’ accommodations.
As a result, the GOC stressed the need to sustain sensitization on fire prevention and management in all military barracks. He also revealed that the division had held sensitisation campaigns on fire prevention and management and set up committees in all formations and units to drive the campaign.
The seminar had resource persons from the Nigerian Army, Federal and State Fire Services, as well as the Federal Road Safety Corps. Flyers were distributed, and static displays were made in the course of the seminar to increase awareness and skills on fire prevention and management. The GOC implored the participants to take advantage of the opportunity for the benefit of all and thanked the Department of Army Logistics for organizing the seminar.
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