Panic broke out at the federal secretariat in Abuja on Monday morning after a section of the office of the head of the civil service of the federation was gutted by fire.
Eyewitnesses said the fire was first noticed at about 8:20 a.m., with videos circulating on social media showing thick plumes of black smoke billowing from the affected part of the building.
The incident occurred in Section C of the building within the Federal Secretariat complex.
Staff members were seen evacuating the area after emergency responders were alerted to the situation.
The media department of the office of the head of service confirmed the incident, stating that the fire was confined to Section C of the building.
According to the office, emergency officials were already working to contain the blaze.
“The fire outbreak is limited to Section C of the building and is currently being attended to by emergency officials,” the office said.
The cause of the fire had not been disclosed as of the time of filing this report.