By Desire Emmanuel
The Federal Fire Service has given details of how fireworks including bangers and knockouts which were thrown during the New Year celebrations razed a popular restaurant in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The Cake Hot Restaurant, within River Plate Park, Wuse, Abuja, went up in flames immediately after the country entered 2026 following the knockouts and bangers thrown by those celebrating.
The incident led to the destruction of valuables worth over N500 million while property worth over N1.5 billion was saved by firefighters, according to the Federal Fire Service.
“Preliminary findings linked the incident to objects thrown during New Year celebrations, reinforcing long-standing warnings against the use of fireworks,” the Federal Fire Service disclosed in a statement on Thursday.
The agency added that the prompt arrival of its personnel and in a joint efforts with the FCT Fire Service, later contained the blaze, preventing what could have escalated into a major disaster in the busy recreational area as only a section of the garden was affected.
