Oluwafunbi Bello 
ABUJA, Nigeria – A fire breaks out Monday morning at the office of the Director-General of the National Board for Technology Incubation in Abuja, sending smoke through parts of the federal secretariat building and forcing workers to evacuate.
The incident occurred at about 8 a.m. on the fourth floor of Block C at the Secretariat of the Head of Civil Service, shortly after staff resumed duties. Flames spread from the Director-General’s office to a nearby storage area, triggering panic among employees.
Eyewitnesses say thick smoke quickly fills the corridor as workers rush out of the building.
Mrs. Mary Madaki, a staff member at the Federal Staff Hospital located in the same complex, says she witnessed the outbreak shortly after arriving for work.
“I resumed work around 7 a.m., and the fire started about an hour later,” she says. “The store where tyres and other items were kept burned intensely, which made the situation worse.”
Another employee at the board, who is away when the fire begins, says he receives the news while outside the office.
“I was in Utako to collect a package when someone called to say the office was on fire,” he says. “My laptop and documents are inside the building.”
Emergency responders from the Federal Fire Service arrive at the scene and battle the flames as anxious workers gather outside the complex.
A firefighter at the scene says the blaze is brought under control after roughly two hours.
“We are still trying to determine the exact cause of the fire,” the officer says. “But the situation is now under control.”
Authorities say investigations are ongoing to determine what triggered the outbreak and assess the level of damage.
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Korede Abdullah 
Otamere Gladness 
Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 