TheCable

There has been a fire incident at the ministry of finance building in the federal capital territory (FCT).

Black smoke was seen billowing from a part of the building which is located in the Central Business District of Abuja on Wednesday.

But TheCable learnt the fire was put out and that it did not affect any part of the building.

According to the ministry, the incident involved an “isolated battery pack” on the corridor in the basement.

“The Federal Ministry of Finance HQ is not on fire as reported on social media. Rather, there was an incident on the corridor in the basement involving an isolated battery Pack (photo inset). It was quickly put out by the security personnel on duty,” the ministry said in a statement posted on Twitter.

NewsFlash: The Federal Ministry of Finance HQ is not on fire as reported on social media. Rather, there was an incident on the corridor in the basement involving an isolated battery Pack (photo inset). It was quickly put out by the security personnel on duty. #FinMinNigeria pic.twitter.com/aNDzwF7kOc

— Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning (@FinMinNigeria) February 23, 2022

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The fire incident is just the latest of many that have affected government offices in Abuja.

In May 2020, fire burnt a part of the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) building in the FCT.

A month before that incident, a building housing the office of the accountant-general of the federation (AGF) was gutted by fire.

In 2018, the Federal Fire Service (FFS) said Nigeria lost about N5 trillion to fire incidents in four years.