Officials of the Anambra State Fire Service were attacked by an angry mob allegedly coming late to the scene of a fire outbreak.
This has been confirmed by the Director/Fire Chief of the Anambra Fire Service, Mr. Martin Agbili, in a statement released to newsmen on Monday.
Agbili explained that the fire incident occurred at around 6 o’clock on Atani Road near Uga Junction in Onitsha.
He said the mob wounded some of the workers of the fire service and destroyed the fire truck’s side mirrors and windshield.
He has described the act, as barbarous and not the right way of starting the new year.
He explained that the fire service got a distress call on Sunday 1st January 2023 at around 1800 hours, that there’s a fire outbreak at Uga junction by Atani road.
“Immediately, our fire truck and firefighters were deployed to the scene. On arrival at the fire scene, the mob attacked us.
“They threw stones, sticks, and irons at us. Unfortunately, they shattered the windscreen of our fire trucks, and the side glasses and also wounded some firefighters.
“As they started throwing stones at the fire truck while the fire was still on, what we could hear was, ‘is it now that you people are coming to fight the fire?
“We managed to escape the mob attack with our shattered windscreen and some injured firefighters.
“This gift of a new year is unfortunate, that our hardworking firefighters of Anambra State will be welcomed to the new year with this barbaric act.
“Perpetrators of this ugly act will surely be brought to book,”