A devastating blaze has consumed a local judicial building, referred to as the First Magistrate Court, in Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi State. Reports from individuals associated with the court revealed that the unfortunate event took place late last Thursday night.
The fire was so intense that it completely destroyed the First Magistrate’s Court, reducing important documents and exhibits to mere ashes. Assets seized from lawbreakers, which were stored within the court premises, were also consumed by the flames.
The Chief Registrar of the State High Court, Nnenna Onuoha, confirmed the incident, estimating the total damage caused by the fire to be around N40 million.
“On the morning of June 3, 2023, we received distress calls from residents of the magistrate quarters informing us that our court was engulfed in flames. We immediately rushed to the scene and were met with the sight of our court being devoured by the fire. We began to question the origin of the fire, and it was suggested that the transformer could be the source,” she explained.
Emergency responders from the Ebonyi State Fire Service were alerted and promptly arrived at the scene to extinguish the fire. Despite their efforts, the building was completely destroyed. “The estimated value of the lost property is around N40 million. The fire consumed most of the exhibits in the court,” she added.
