Kogi assembly fire: Speaker says he believes it was sabotaged

The early-morning fire that destroyed the state legislative complex on Monday has been attributed to sabotage, according to Mathew Kolawole, Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly.

According to reports, the fire that destroyed the assembly’s sacred chamber began early on Monday and burned till 8 am, when a fire engine from Dangote Cement, Obajana, arrived to put it out.

The Speaker voiced his serious worry over the occurrence in a Monday interview with reporters at the assembly facility.

He claimed he was unable to identify any potential suspects in the cause of the fire.

“I am unable to definitively identify any potential offenders. I’ll beg you to hold off till the security personnel have finished their inquiry and have sent us their reports.

A senior member of the assembly’s staff, who asked to remain anonymous, speculated that the fire may have been caused by an explosive put by a suspected sabotage.

Related Read: Fire guts Kogi Assembly complex (photos)

Only an explosive could have caused the crack in the hallow chamber wall, he said.

Security and technological specialists are presently working hard to identify the cause(s) of the inferno that has significantly damaged the Complex, according to a statement published later in the day by the state commissioner for information, Kingsley Fanwo, which confirmed the occurrence.

“The State Government will update the public on findings as they become available.

The government is able to handle the expected outcome of the investigations, he continued, so “we urge the general populace to be calm, law-abiding, and resist the temptation of being lawless.”

In order to ensure that legislative business is not entirely suspended as a result of the regrettable tragedy, he added the state administration will also make provisions for temporary arrangements.