Photo: Vanguard

The former president's home on fire.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Thursday described the fire at his hilltop residence in Abeokuta as a "minor" incident.

"It was a minor fire that affected my PA's (Personal Assistant's) office.

"It may have been some electrical problem. I am in high spirit. We thank God," he told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone.

He said that men of the Nigerian Civil Defence Corps and the Ogun State Fire Service had put out the fire.

Obasanjo said: "I hope that we can all see that it was not the whole building that was burnt by fire.

"It is just the office of my secretary and we thank God for everything.

"Ile Obasanjo to jo e wa lo bu si," meaning - The fire incident will only add beauty to Obasanjo's house.

NAN reports that some officials of the state have since come to sympathise with the former president.

They include the Commissioner of Police, Mr Ikemefuna Okoye, Deputy Chief of Staff to the State Governor, Alhaji Shuaibu Salisu, State Security Service officials, politicians and other top government functionaries.