The Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu, on Monday confirmed that there was a fire incident at his Abuja residence as circulated on social media, but said it was “nothing serious.”
“It was a mere power surge that was contained immediately,” Mr. Kachikwu’s spokesperson, Idang Alibi, said at 5:00 p.m. Monday.
The spokesperson said no one was hurt during the incident, which he said occurred between Sunday night and Monday morning and blamed on a faulty electric cable in his principal’s bedroom.
Mr. Kachikwu was not at home during the outbreak. It was contained within a few minutes by police guard and others who were at the property located in the highbrow Asokoro neighbourhood.
The development comes amidst raging controversy over the October 3 leakage of a memo which Mr. Kachikwu addressed to President Buhari about alleged infractions at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
“No foul play was suspected in the fire incident,” Mr. Alibi said.
