An official who is loyal to the outgoing leadership claimed that the fire started as a result of an electrical spark.
More reactions have trailed the mysterious fire that engulfed the headquarters of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) popularly known as Glass House in Abuja. The fire started around about 9 a.m. today.
A source at the NFF said the fire started at the account office and later extended to the offices of the secretary general and the International Football Federation located on the first floor of the building. The source said the fire appeared an act of arson and sabotage, adding that the fire started after workers had already resumed work in their various offices.
“The accountant refused to call the fire service in time,” one source claimed. He added: “It started like a smoke before the whole building went up in flames.”
Another eyewitness blamed the fire incident on the outgoing leaders of the federation, saying it must have been a deliberate scheme to cover the financial improprieties of the current leadership.
The deputy comptroller of the Federal Capital Territory Fire Service, Julius Opetunsi, told reporters that his team responded by arriving at the scene promptly. He said firefighters put out the fire, but declined to say whether the fire was an act of arson or accident. He added that the preliminary investigation was ongoing and that it was premature for the fire service to confirm the actual cause of the fire.
The accountant’s office was reportedly burnt beyond recognition, with all documents, electronics and other valuable property.
An official who is loyal to the outgoing leadership claimed that the fire started as a result of an electrical spark.
The NFF has been embroiled in a leadership tussle following tension between Aminu Maigari and Mike Umeh over the chairmanship of the governing football body.