The House of Representatives has issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service, Mr. Jaji Abdulganiyu, to appear before its panel and provide a comprehensive explanation regarding a fire truck accident that resulted in the deaths of three individuals and left others injured in Abuja.
The directive was given by the Minority Whip of the House, Hon. Ali Isah, after the Controller-General failed to attend a previous invitation from the panel.
Hon. Isah expressed concern that, despite videos of the accident circulating on social media, the Fire Service had not issued an official statement concerning the incident.
In response, the House instructed the Federal Fire Service to visit the affected families, offer condolences, cover the medical expenses of the injured, and implement compensation plans. Lawmakers also urged the agency to introduce preventive measures to avoid similar incidents in the future.
During his appearance before the panel, Deputy Controller-General for Administration and Supplies, Mr. Samuel Olumode, conveyed the agency’s regret over the incident. He explained that the Controller-General was attending to other official duties and had delegated him, along with other senior officers, to represent the Service.
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Mr. Olumode explained that the tragic incident occurred during an emergency response, and the fire truck driver involved failed to stop at the scene due to concerns about mob action—an issue he described as common in such operations. He added that the driver later reported to the nearest police station and has been in custody since the incident.
Mr. Olumode also stated that the Controller-General personally visited the bereaved families and the injured victims in hospital. He noted that Fire Service officials attended the funeral service at the National Mosque and the subsequent burial of the deceased.
Furthermore, Mr. Olumode mentioned that the Service had issued a public apology, which has been broadcast and published by major media outlets nationwide.
The fatal incident occurred on Friday evening at the ECOWAS Junction in Wuse 2, Abuja, during a firefighting operation at Avenue Plaza, Banex. The victims were reported to be siblings.
