ABUJA, FCT — There was widespread pandemonium in the early hours of today, Monday, March 9, 2026, as a sudden fire outbreak engulfed a significant section of the Federal Secretariat complex in the Three Arms Zone, Abuja. The incident, which reportedly started around 9:00 AM, has paralyzed government activities in the area, with hundreds of civil servants seen fleeing the building in a state of shock and confusion.
Impact and Response Preliminary reports indicate that the inferno specifically affected the section of the building housing the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation. Thick black smoke could be seen billowing from the upper floors of the massive complex, visible from several kilometers away.
The Federal Fire Service and the FCT Fire Service arrived at the scene shortly after the alarm was raised and are currently battling to prevent the flames from spreading to adjacent blocks. Due to the emergency, security agencies have cordoned off the area, leading to a major diversion of vehicular movement from the Federal Court of Appeal axis. At this time, there are no confirmed reports of casualties, but several workers are being treated for smoke inhalation by medical teams on-site.
Economic Hardship Hits the Road In another local development touching the lives of residents in the FCT, a new social trend has emerged at major junctions in Abuja, including Lugbe, Area 1, and Gwarinpa. Due to the skyrocketing price of petrol and the general high cost of living, many women in the territory have begun converting their private cars—including luxury vehicles—into informal taxis popularly known as "kabu-kabu."
Residents in Lugbe have noted an increase in female-driven private cars picking up passengers at peak hours to help cover rising household expenses like school fees and rent. This shift in the local transport landscape highlights the deep economic pressure facing many middle-class families in the capital city as they seek alternative income streams to navigate the current inflation.
A Crucial Day for Politics Meanwhile, the political atmosphere in Abuja is equally tense as the Court of Appeal is set to deliver a landmark judgment today regarding the leadership crisis within the People's Democratic Party (PDP). Both the Wike-aligned and Makinde-aligned factions are in high spirits as they await the ruling, which is expected to shape the political configuration of the country ahead of the 2027 election cycle.
English (US) ·