The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has stated that nothing critical to its operations was affected by the fire incident, which occurred at its headquarters on Saturday.
The Service made this known in a statement signed by Wahab Gbadamosi, Head, Communications and Servicom Department in Abuja yesterday.
Mr Gbadamosi said said the fire, which broke out at 5.10pm, affected the canteen located at Annex 1 of the headquarters where old and disused computers awaiting disposal are kept.
Aside from the disused computers, the fire affected stationery items such as envelopes and printing paper.
“The FIRS, hereby, assures the general public that nothing critical to FIRS operations was affected,” the Service said.
It added that officials of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Fire Service arrived the scene a couple of minutes after the fire began and worked with security and safety officers of the FIRS to put it out within two hours.
FIRS Chairman, Mr. Tunde Fowler, the statement further said, visited the scene of the fire incident for first-hand assessment of the situation, which cause the FCT Fire Service Department is currently investigating. Fire Service officials also visited the scene again on Monday.
The FIRS commended the Fire Service Department for its timely response as well as members of the public and the media for their interest in the health of FIRS operations.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")