A devastating fire gutted St. Mary Catholic Cathedral in Wukari, Taraba State, completely destroying the church and leaving members of the diocese in shock.
The blaze consumed the entire cathedral, forcing the Catholic community to grapple with the loss of one of its major worship centres.
Reacting to the incident, the Director of Communications for the Catholic Diocese, Fr. John Laikei, described it as a serious setback. “This incident is a major setback for the diocese. Our members are still in shock over what has happened,” he said.
Fr. Laikei added that the cause of the fire has not been officially established, though preliminary observations indicate it occurred shortly after electricity was restored to the area. “But I can confirm that it coincided with the restoration of electricity. Authorities are yet to fully evaluate the extent of the damage caused by the fire,” he noted.
The tragedy comes barely a month after a fire destroyed the Wukari Local Government Secretariat, raising fresh concerns about emergency response capacity in the region.
Additionally, several fire outbreaks between January and March in Jalingo destroyed shops, houses, and parts of a market, though no fatalities were reported.
In response to the recurring incidents, Governor Agbu Kefas had earlier set up a committee to address the pattern of disasters and recommend preventive measures across the state.
