Fire has gutted Port Harcourt Electricity Development Company’s (PHEDC’s) power substation in Afaha Ube, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

The Nation learnt that there was a bang at the substation about 1pm yesterday, followed by an inferno.

The fire, according to eyewitnesses, lasted close to an hour.

The fire service did not respond to the distress call, citing lack of water and other logistics.


Julius Berger came and put out the fire.

A source said: “We heard an explosion. We panicked, thinking it was a bomb. Suddenly, we saw a thick smoke enveloping the substation.

“The flames grew higher and higher. Residents fled. We were lucky that Julius Berger arrived less than one hour to put out the inferno.”

Another eyewitness, Anietie Okon, said the fire occurred in one of the alleged refurbished transformers.

The General Manager in charge of transmission, Port Harcourt, Mr. Uyouko Solomon, said he was not in Uyo.

He said he was coming to Uyo from Port Harcourt.


When asked if any transformer was refurbished, Solomon answered no.