By Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) A late-night fire on Wednesday destroyed St. Mary’s Catholic Cathedral, a major landmark in Wukari, leaving the multi-million naira structure in ruins.
The Communications Director of the Catholic Diocese of Wukari, Rev. Fr. John Laikei, confirmed the incident to journalists in a telephone interview, stating that the fire broke out shortly after electricity supply was restored to the area on Wednesday night.
Laikei said the cathedral was completely destroyed by the inferno, though no casualties were recorded.
He described the incident as a major setback for the diocese, noting that church officials were still in shock over the scale of destruction.
“It is a scene of utter destruction, with fire everywhere. There are no roofs and no furniture left standing,” he said.
According to him, the exact cause of the fire remains unknown, adding that authorities are yet to fully assess the extent of the damage.
“The cause of the fire is currently unknown, but all I can say is that power was restored and the incident occurred,” he added.
Laikei also decried the lack of functional firefighting equipment in Wukari, describing it as a long-standing problem and calling for urgent intervention by relevant authorities.
The incident comes just months after the Wukari Local Government Secretariat was also destroyed by fire.
Meanwhile, fire outbreaks have reportedly been on the rise across Taraba State, affecting homes, businesses, offices and places of worship. In response to the growing trend, the state governor, Agbu Kefas, recently constituted a committee to investigate the surge in fire incidents.
