FCT FEMA saves 4,880 lives, N99.3m property

The acting Director General (DG) of the FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Ambassador Ibrahim Mohammed Sabo, on Tuesday, said the agency was able to save 4,880 lives and property worth N99.3 million in disasters in the territory this year.

Mr Sabo, who disclosed this during a media interaction at the FEMA Conference Hall in Abuja, said the agency saved 1,842 lives from fire incidents, 174 from building collapse and 2,864 from flooding, noting that eight lives were lost during the year in building collapse incidents and floods.

He said, “Our major responsibility is saving lives and property of FCT residents, and with the full support we are having from the FCT Administration (FCTA), we have been able to save 1,842 lives, that’s in all fire incidents that occurred within the FCT, and no life was lost. And we have been able to save property worth about N99.3m; that is from fire outbreaks.

Regarding building collapse, we have been able to save 174 lives. We lost four unfortunately. And in the case of flooding, in total we have been able to save 2,864 lives.

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“We lost four unfortunately during flooding. Most of these lives that were lost during flooding, a lot in essence, were avoidable. In most of these flood-prone areas, we have barricades, and we normally place signs there, warning people about the issue of flooding those areas. And we have our vanguards that are stationed there 24 hours.”

Sabo further stated that the FCT Minister had constituted a committee to ensure the prevention of fire incidents, adding that anyone found culpable in any disaster would be charged to court.