A FIRE outbreak on Wednesday disrupted proceedings at the Senate wing of the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, forcing lawmakers, staff and guests to flee the building before the situation was eventually brought under control.
News Point Nigeria reports that the incident occurred at Senate Hearing Room 107 shortly after the Senate Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), chaired by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, concluded the screening of Dr. Zainab Marwa as a member representing the North-East on the commission’s board.
Witnesses said smoke suddenly billowed into the hearing room from an attached kitchen section, causing panic among senators, parliamentary staff and guests. The confusion reportedly forced occupants to hurriedly vacate the venue before the sitting could be formally adjourned.
According to eyewitness accounts, the smoke quickly filled the room, prompting a scramble for safety as those present rushed out of the building.
In a video of the incident that has since gone viral on social media, some staff members were heard attributing the fire to a spark from a microwave allegedly left unattended in the kitchen area. Others were seen making frantic efforts to contain the blaze with the limited firefighting tools available.
Attempts to extinguish the fire were reportedly hampered by inadequate water supply, with voices in the background repeatedly shouting, “the water is not enough,” as efforts intensified to prevent the flames from spreading.
The incident also raised concerns about emergency preparedness within the complex, as some staff members questioned the apparent absence of functional fire extinguishers around the immediate vicinity of the hearing room.
Despite the challenges, the situation was eventually brought under control through the intervention of Senator Ekpenyong, Senator Salihu Mustapha and parliamentary staff, who joined efforts to douse the fire before it escalated into a major disaster.
At one point during the response, a witness was heard pointing to one of the affected appliances and saying, “it was from this gas,” suggesting another possible source of the fire.
The kitchen compartment attached to the hearing room, which houses tightly packed furniture and electrical appliances, sustained visible damage during the incident.
No casualty was reported, and normalcy was restored after the blaze was contained.
As of the time of filing this report, the Senate had yet to issue an official statement clarifying the exact cause of the fire or the extent of damage caused by the incident.
Efforts to obtain an official reaction were unsuccessful, as the Senate Spokesperson, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, could not be reached for comment.