Residents of Wukari were thrown into shock late Wednesday night after a fire outbreak engulfed parts of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, leaving worshippers devastated.
The inferno, which reportedly started late at night, affected sections of the cathedral in what eyewitnesses described as a sudden and distressing incident.
The cause of the fire has not yet been ascertained, while authorities were still working to determine the full extent of the damage at the time of filing this report.
The development comes months after a similar fire incident razed the Wukari Local Government Council secretariat, heightening concerns among residents over recurring fire outbreaks in the area.
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Members of the Catholic community expressed deep sorrow over the incident, especially as the diocese is still recovering from previous crises that led to the destruction of lives, parish churches, a rectory, and other valuable properties.
Amid the confusion, Fr. James Oliver, a priest resident at the cathedral, reportedly acted swiftly by rescuing the Blessed Sacrament before the flames spread further within the church premises, a move many parishioners described as courageous.
As news of the incident spread, faithful gathered in prayers, hoping that no lives were lost and calling for divine protection over the community.
Some residents also lamented the absence of functional fire service vehicles within the council area, arguing that inadequate emergency response infrastructure has made it difficult to contain such incidents promptly.
Wukari, the hometown of Agbu Kefas, has witnessed repeated fire outbreaks in recent months, prompting calls on the state government to strengthen fire service operations across local government areas.
Local authorities and emergency responders are expected to carry out a detailed assessment of the damage and launch an investigation to determine the root cause of the blaze.
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