Nation
‘Fire Related Deaths Drop By 100%’
Controller General (CG) of the Federal Fire Service (FFS), Dr Ibrahim Liman, says fire related deaths in the country have dropped by 100 per cent in one year.
Dr Liman, who said this at a press briefing yesterday in Abuja, attributed the decrease to the repositioning of the FFS.
He said from January till date, the service had recorded a total of 70 deaths to fire outbreaks compared to a total of 147 recorded in 2020.
He also said there had been an increase in the estimated property saved from N1.4 trillion in 2020 to N19.4 trillion in 2021.
The CG said the achievement could be ascribed to the procurement of new fire fighting assets, training of firefighters and motivation of staff by the federal government.
“In 2015, the service had only three rickety fire fighting trucks, but now, the service has procured 141 modern fire trucks.
“With an increased staff strength from 600 to over 6,000 and expansion from its initial presence in just Lagos State and Abuja, to all the states of the federation.
“The Service now has 15 life saving ambulances procured this year with well trained medical personnel for effective paramedic service during emergency response.
“To reduce our response time, we have a control room that houses the Nigerian Internal Security and Public Safety Alert System (NISPSAS) where emergency video calls are received, showing real time video location of the caller.
“The service also procured a hydraulic platform fire fighting truck which has the capacity of fighting fire in a 18-storey building, as well as used to effect rescue,” he said.
According to him, the FFS sent some of its fire men on training locally and internationally for better understanding and utilisation of the newly procured equipment and innovations.
Liman noted that citizens had roles to play in safeguarding lives and property.
“These roles include; compliance to fire safety code, taking seriously safety educations, not involving in negligent action that could result to fire.
“Knowing the emergency numbers and calling them in good time when there is fire or any emergency, as well as refraining from obstructing emergency vehicles on the road to emergency scenes,” he said.
He advised citizens to desist from attacking firefighters at fire scenes to enable firefighters respond appropriately.
“If we all do these, Nigeria will have a tremendous reduction in the loss of lives and property from fire related emergencies,” he added.
While wishing the Christian faithful happy Christmas and new year celebration, Dr Liman urged Nigerians to be safety conscious and to avoid actions that could lead to fire outbreak.
He stated that the harmattan had a negative high influence to the spread of fire if they occurred, hence the precautionary warning.
He said, “Nigerians now have a fire service that they can be proud of as other African countries now come to Nigeria to emulate what is happening in the service.
“Nigerians need to know that they now have a better fire service than they used to have as anyone can visit various stations in the state to see the new fire service in terms of equipment, personnel and technology.
“We might not have gotten to where we are supposed to be yet, but certainly we are not where we used to be six years ago, and all thanks to the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.”
The CG called on citizens to be timely in contacting the FFS through their emergency numbers: 08032003556 or 112, in case of any fire incident.
The Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Peters Nwagor, has commended the orderly conduct of the ongoing 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination in the state and urged schools to sustain the standard.
Dr. Nwagor gave the commendation on Tuesday during a monitoring tour of selected secondary schools in Port Harcourt and environs where the WAEC exam is ongoing.
The commissioner, who was accompanied by directors and monitors from the Ministry of Education, said he was impressed with the peaceful atmosphere at the centres visited.
“The students conducted themselves properly and wrote their papers under conducive conditions. Invigilators and supervisors also performed their duties professionally,” he stated.
Nwagor noted that the Rivers State Government had invested heavily to ensure the smooth and credible conduct of the examination across the state
He urged candidates to reciprocate government’s effort by shunning all forms of examination malpractice and focusing on their studies.
“Government has done so much to ensure successful examinations in our schools. Students should take advantage of it by remaining focused,” the commissioner said.
While no case of malpractice was recorded in the centres inspected, Dr. Nwagor warned that any principal, teacher, invigilator, or official caught aiding malpractice would face strict sanctions in line with regulations.
He also commended school administrators, teachers, WAEC officials, and security personnel for upholding the integrity of the process.
Centres visited included County Grammar School, Ikwerre/Etche; Government Comprehensive Secondary School, Borokiri; Government Secondary School, Borokiri; and Pabod Model Secondary School.
Rivers State University and the Otonti Nduka Foundation for Values Education jointly hosted a two-day National Conference on 8 and 9 May 2026 to examine the state of values in Nigeria.
The two days conference held at Rivers State University convocation arena brought together academics, policymakers, legal experts and education leaders under the theme _“Trends and Challenges in Upholding Values in Nigeria.”_
The gathering focused on policy gaps, curriculum reform, and the role of ethics in public service and education.
The event opened on Friday with remarks from Vice Chancellor Prof. Chief Isaac Zeb-Obipi, who stressed the need to address declining moral and civic values across Nigeria’s education and public sectors. A book of abstracts for the plenary sessions was also presented to participants.
Key speakers included former Attorney General Chief Dr Kanu Agabi, SAN; NERDC Executive Secretary Prof. Shehu Salisu; Prof. Hauwa Imam, FNAE, of the University of Abuja; former Rivers SUBEB Chairman Ven Dr Fyneface Akah, ; former NIMASA DG Dr Hon. Dakuku Adol-Peterside; and RSU Director of ICT Prof. Sunny Orike.
Discussions centered on integrating values education into schools, tertiary institutions and public institutions, alongside the impact of technology on moral development among young Nigerians. Panel and plenary sessions produced practical recommendations for curriculum and policy reform.
On Saturday, the foundation marked its centenary with the unveiling of the book _Otonti Nduka in History_, launched by Chief Engr. Grant Offor, FNSE. The Nigerian Academy of Education held a ceremonial procession led by its President Prof. Olu Jegede and the Ikwerre Professors Forum.
In a communiqué, participants called for stronger collaboration between government, civil society and academia to mainstream values education nationwide. They recommended reviewing teacher training curricula and expanding digital platforms to promote ethical civic engagement, with the foundation pledging to share the outcomes with education authorities for implementation.
Dignitaries present included Ogbakor Ikwerre Worldwide as Chief Host, Prof. Emeritus Chief T. Uzodimma Nwala, the Ikenga 1 of Mbaise and first philosophy student of Prof. Otonti Nduka, alongside scholars and community leaders.
Amadi Akujobi
