A mysterious fire on Monday evening gutted a section of the Rivers State Secretariat Complex, destroying offices of the State Pension Board located at the Podium Block.

The incident occurred shortly after Governor Siminalayi Fubara dissolved the board earlier constituted by the immediate past Sole Administrator of the state, Vice Admiral Ikot Ete Ibas (rtd).

The fire outbreak comes amid ongoing allegations of financial mismanagement against the board. It was also gathered that there were ongoing plans to investigate the board’s financial activities during the period of Emergency Rule declared in the state by President Bola Tinubu.

Sources within the complex alleged that the fire might have been triggered by an electrical fault, adding that several important documents were lost in the inferno.

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Confirming the incident, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information, Dr. Honour Siriwo, said firefighters from both the State and Federal Fire Services responded promptly and battled to contain the flames.

As of press time, Siriwo noted that the full extent of the damage and whether there were any casualties had not yet been determined.