Flames engulfed several offices within the Sokoto State Police Command on Saturday.
The blaze, which ignited at approximately 5 a.m. on Saturday, destroyed the offices belonging to the Assistant Commissioner of Police responsible for Administration, the Chaplain, and the Chief Imam of the Command.
The Command’s Spokesman, ASP Ahmad Rufa’i, verified the occurrence to reporters, stating that the fire affected a portion of the single-story administration block of the Command.
“Some offices were razed down by the inferno, which includes the office of the Assistant Commissioner, Administration; the confidential office and that of the Chief Imam of the Command.
“The fire also destroyed our Chaplain and the office of the Chief Superintendent. Administration and property were destroyed, but there was no injury or death,” he explained.
Rufa’i, however, ruled out any foul play, saying there was nobody in the section when the incident happened.
“But investigation is ongoing to unravel the cause of the fire and the level of damage it caused,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Police Service Commission (PSC) has deployed CP Peter Opara as the new Commissioner of Police for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The development was confirmed in a statement issued by the Head of Press and Public Relations for the PSC, Ikechukwu Ani.
Opara succeeds CP Benneth Igwe, who has been elevated to the rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police and assigned to Zone 7 Abuja as the Zonal Assistant Inspector General of Police.
The newly appointed Commissioner for the FCT previously held the position of CP in the Force Secretary’s office and served as the Deputy Commissioner of Administration and Finance for the Imo State Command.
Additionally, he has experience as a Personal Assistant to the former Chairman of the Police Service Commission, IGP Mike Okiro (Rtd).
CP Opara has also held various roles, including DCP of Legal Studies at the Police Academy (POLAC) in Wudil, Kano, Area Commander in Aba and Uyo, Area Crime Officer in Kubwa, and Senior Deputy Defence Adviser at Nigeria’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York.
He has frequently served as a Personal Assistant to the Inspector General of Police, as well as to the Deputy Inspector General of Works and Operations, and as a Personal Assistant to the CP of Lagos State Command.