A fire has completely destroyed the Ogoja High Court in Cross River State, located in the Government Reserved Area (GRA). The fire started around 7 pm on Sunday, and eyewitnesses reported that nothing was left of the building by the time the flames were put out.

The cause of the fire is not yet clear. An eyewitness, Sani Mohammed, ruled out bush burning as the cause, stating that the court is far from any dry grass or bushes. He also mentioned that there was no power supply at the time, so an electrical fault was unlikely. Some people are even suggesting that the fire might have been set by someone with a strong case in the court.

Unfortunately, efforts to extinguish the fire were unsuccessful. There was no fire service present to help, even though their office is nearby. Mohammed and others tried to put out the fire by fetching water in buckets, but they were unable to stop it. He also highlighted that the local fire station is in poor condition and lacks the necessary resources to respond to emergencies like this.

Cletus Makers, the Comptroller of the Federal Fire Service in Cross River, expressed disappointment over the lack of equipment. The only fire truck in the entire state is located in Calabar, over 200 km away from Ogoja. This made it impossible for the fire service to respond in time.

The incident is being treated as a case of arson, and the State Police Commissioner, Augustine Grimah, has promised a thorough investigation. The people of Ogoja are left shocked and saddened by the loss of their court, and they hope the truth behind the fire will be uncovered soon.