Unity Bank has disclosed that the fire incident that broke at its head office was caused by one of its tenants.
In a statement issued to notify its investing public through the Nigerian Stock Exchange, signed by the Company Secretary of the bank, Mohammed Shehu, the financial institution stated that the fire broke from the third floor, which was occupied by a tenant.
The Details: The bank stated that the fire broke out from the third floor of the building which was occupied by a tenant. The fire, however, was extinguished subsequently.
“The fire, which started from the third floor of the building occupied by a tenant, has been fully extinguished. Preliminary investigations show that the damage is localized to this floor,” the statement read in part.
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Staff relocated: Unity Bank admitted that critical members of the staff were relocated to an offsite location for their safety. Contrary to speculations that their operations might be affected, no damage was inflicted on their properties and their services are still operational.
The lender also went ahead to extend appreciation to several agencies that helped put the situation under control while noting that detailed investigation and damage assessment exercise were on-going by federal and state fire service departments.
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Backstory: A fire broke out at Unity Bank’s head office in Victoria Island, Lagos this morning, according to a Nairametrics report.
The incident posted on Social Media showed flames spreading to at least three floors. Several users on Twitter reacted to the incident, tagging relevant agencies to the tweets.
However, the statement issued by the manager, Corporate Communications, Unity Bank, Mathew Obiazikwor, claimed that the fire only affected one floor in the building. He also reassured the public that the fire service had intervened and brought the situation under control.
About Unity Bank
Unity bank was founded in 2006 from the merger of 9 commercial banks namely; Intercity Bank Plc, First Interstate Bank Plc, Tropical Commercial Bank Plc, Pacific Bank Limited, Centre Point Bank Plc, Societe Bancaire Limited, NNB International Bank Plc, Bank of the North Ltd and New Africa Bank Plc.
[READ FURTHER: Unity Bank Plc soon to seal deal with unnamed foreign investors]
This is following the consolidation exercise mandated by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 2004. Unity Bank is one of Nigeria’s leading retail banks with over 200 business offices spread across the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory.
