Fire razes Kachikwu’s house

Augustine Okezie, Abuja

The Asokoro residence of the Minister of state for Petroleum resources, Ibe Kachikwu in Abuja, was on Sunday evening gutted by fire.

However, Kachikwu was not at home when the incidence happened.

According to reports, the fire, which started in his bedroom, was suspected to have been caused by an electrical fault to the air conditioners.

The Daily Times gathered that the minister was away when the incident occurred.

Confirming the incident during a chat with journalists Monday, Kachikwu, who spoke through his spokesman, Idang Alibi, admitted that there was a fire incident at his Abuja residence as circulated, but that it was “nothing serious.”

He said: “It was a mere power surge that was contained immediately,” “No foul play was suspected in the fire incident.”

The spokesperson further disclosed that no one was hurt during the incident, which he said, occurred between Sunday night and Monday morning.
He said the fire incident was contained from spreading within a few minutes by police guard and others who were at the property, located in the highbrow Asokoro neighborhood.
The development comes amidst raging controversy over the October 3 leakage of a memo, which Kachikwu addressed to President Buhari about alleged infractions by the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).