Fire Guts Wukari Secretariat Complex In Taraba

An evening inferno has totally destroyed official documents at the administrative section of Wukari local government council secretariat in Taraba State.

The incident, which occurred on Friday, January 9, 2026, lasted for about three hours, where only the administrative department was majorly affected at the secretariat complex.

It took the intervention of locals to quell the incident and prevent its escalation to other buildings.

This was contained in a press release signed by the chairman of the council, Hon. Bala Useni, and made available to LEADERSHIP Sunday in Jalingo.

The statement read, “The Wukari local government regrets to announce a severe fire incident that occurred yesterday, Friday, January 9, 2026, at the local government secretariat.

“At approximately 6:07pm, the security officer on duty alerted the Executive Chairman to the blaze. Despite efforts to contain the fire, seven key administrative departments were lost within three hours, resulting in the total destruction of vital government documents and infrastructure. Only the chairman’s block was spared,” it added.

According to the council chairman in the statement, the cause of the incident is not known, but added that the council has launched a full-scale investigation.

It urged citizens of the locality to remain calm, “as we work with the state government to ensure that the administrative services continue with minimal disruption.”

Speaking further to newsmen, the council chairman said the incident happened shortly after he left office to attend to other state engagements.

Useni, who decried the lack of firefighting facilities, said initial attempts to contain the fire proved unsuccessful, as the Federal University Wukari Fire Service could not operate effectively due to a lack of water.

“The inferno was eventually brought under control through the combined efforts of council staff and concerned individuals,” he said.