Following what it described as the failure of the state governments to ensure the safety of its men, the Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service, Liman Ibrahim, has threatened to withdraw firefighters from states where their security is not guaranteed.
The threat was contained in a statement issued by Ugo Huan, the spokesperson of the Service, on Friday.
While condemning the recent attack on men of the fire service by residents of Kogi State, the Controller-General vowed to bring the attackers are made to face the law, to serve as a deterrent to others.
Still registering his displeasure over the attack on the firefighters, Ibrahim noted that it was the second time they were being attacked while discharging their duty.
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A cross-section of Nigerians who spoke with Talestime9ja on what this portends for the country, lamented the experience of men the service. They noted that if the threat of the Controller-General, Liman Ibrahim, comes to be, it means:
- Grave dangers lie ahead in these states because, in the event of a fire outbreak, citizens who are not trained to arrest such a situation risk losing their properties and even their lives.
- Also, the attack on the men of the fire service is a direct consequence of the lawlessness in Nigeria; a situation that allows the ordinary man to take the law into his hands.
- They also argued that the development is a show of shame, one that badly taints the already battered image of the country. They stressed that this occurrence provides international observers with another reason to not take Nigeria seriously.
- According to another speaker who pleaded anonymity, the showdown between the fire service and states shows that there is an existing deficit in the Nigerian security architecture. This, she said will affect key sectors such as tourism, and foreign investors will be scared away because their safety and that of their businesses are not guaranteed.
Further explaining the situation, the Controller-General explained that the latest incident saw a mob attacking the firefighters as they attempted to put out a fire after a car went ablaze Al-Salam filling station, along Felele Road, Kogi State, following a distress call.
Ibrahim added that their truck was damaged while the firefighters were inflicted with various degrees of injuries.
