Presidential Tribunal: Supreme Court Fire Is Suspicious, Should Be Investigated

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded an investigation into Monday’s fire incident which affected a section of the Supreme Court complex in Abuja.

The party said it is suspicious that the fire would occur at a time when the presidential election petition tribunal is pending before the apex court.

It further expressed fear that arson might be an attempt to cripple the effectiveness of the Supreme Court in handling matters before it.

Recall that a fire outbreak on Monday morning occurred at the Supreme Court of Nigeria at Three Arms Zone in Abuja, destroying some parts of the federal institution. The fire burnt the offices of some justices and forced some occupants of the building to scamper for safety.

The Public Relations Officer for the Court, Festus Akande, who confirmed the fire incident said the cause of the fire was electrical issues from one of the Chambers of the Justices and was put out with the use of fire extinguishers.

However, the PDP in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba has demanded an immediate full-scale investigation into the fire incident. The party also demanded that the outcome of the investigation be made public.

The party’s statement reads: “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is alarmed by the fire incident at the Supreme Court, describing it as suspicious.

“The PDP is worried over the fire outbreak especially given heightened public apprehension of possible arsonist attack with the intent to cripple and frustrate the Supreme Court from effectively discharging its constitutional duties especially with regard to high profile electoral cases including the Presidential Election Appeals pending before it.

“Our Party demands an immediate full-scale investigation into the fire outbreak with the view to unraveling the circumstances or possible sabotage in the incident.

“The PDP insists that the outcome of the investigation should be made public unlike those of previous fire incidents in various government Ministries, Departments and Agencies which were characteristically swept under the carpet by the All Progressives Congress (APC) administrations.

“While calling on the Federal Government to beef up security around the Supreme Court, the PDP also demands that Nigerians must be assured of the safety of sensitive documents and equipment at the Court especially at this critical time.”

Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer for the Court of Appeal, Festus Akande, has said the fire incident that occurred on Monday morning will not affect the presidential election petition.

During an interview on Arise TV on Monday, Akande stated that the fire outbreak has no connection with the petition in court.

He noted that the fire outbreak affected a chamber with a computer, equipment, and functional library due to an electrical fault.