Hope Rises for Bonny Fire Station as Chiefs Council, Bonny LG Seek Sustainable Solution to Fire Outbreaks

The Bonny Fire Station, which the Nyesom Wike led administration could not deliver to the people of Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State, may likely be fully operational soon as the Bonny Local Government and Bonny Chiefs Council (BCC) met recently.

According to a statement on Saturday, July 12, 2025 signed by the Press Secretary to the King Perekule Royal Palace, Bonny, Adolf Pepple, the two entities met to seek ways to provide urgently needed succour to victims of a fire incident at Ayambo Community.

The Administrator of Bonny LGA, Kingsley Banigo, and Chairman of the BCC, Se-Alabo Dagogo Claude-Wilcox led their respective teams during the meeting.

The need to reactivate and put the abandoned fire station into use for the benefit of the people of Bonny LGA has become apparent with the series of fire incidents that have occurred at different times in different parts of the island.

The most recent one is the Wednesday, July 9, 2025 fire outbreak at Ayambo Community. The previous day, Tuesday, July 8, 2025, a fire broke out behind Halliday Chieftaincy House Opuwari, but was quickly put out by residents who responded swiftly.

There was also a fire outbreak at Vitch Street behind Government School, Bonny on Friday, May 30, 2025.  Earlier on Friday, March 15, 2025 there was also a fire outbreak at Water Well 2. On Monday, July 3, 2023, fire razed several makeshift structures at Chief Macdonald Street, off Ukpo Avenue, Bonny. In that particular instance, fire trucks from Shell and NLNG saved the day.

These are just a few of the several fire incidents that have defined safety in Bonny Island and accentuated the abject lack of a fire station in the LGA, and amplified the calls for the activation of the Bonny Fire Station, which the Nyesom Wike led government could not deliver in its eight years lifespan.

Knowledgeable sources, however, point to the temporary nature of the current administration at the Bonny Local Government led by an Administrator, noting that depending on how the political squabble between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his political godfather goes, the incumbent could be called off abruptly.

They insinuate that the situation may render the local government incapable of delivering a sustainable solution to the fire incident malaise plaguing Bonny Island. Previously, a former member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Abinye Pepple had made concerted efforts at getting the fire station up and running, which included engaging the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) and other multinationals.

Checks by Kristina Reports indicate that a team from the NLNG had on Wednesday, December 5, 2018 had visited the fire station for an on-the-spot assessment of the facility. Curiously, nothing had happened since then. Also, in a letter dated Wednesday, January 10, 2024, the incumbent member representing Bonny State Constituency in the State House of Assembly, Victor Oko-Jumbo had requested the Secretary to the State Government to have the relevant ministry, department or agency (MDA) to train and employ staff to man the fire station.

Also, the Bonny Local Government had in concert with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) visited to assess the facility with a view to getting it off the ground.

These several efforts are yet to see to the activation of the fire station which is expected to not only train and retain staff for rapid deployment in case of fire outbreaks but also install fire hydrants across the island for use in emergency situations.

This recent synergy between the Bonny Local Government and Bonny Chiefs Council has fully stirred expectations that there is hope for jumpstarting the fire station to serve the people of Bonny LGA, just as it is hoped that all other stakeholders will align with the move.