A fire broke out at the Senate wing of the National Assembly Complex in Abuja on Wednesday afternoon. Lawmakers and staff evacuated the building as smoke filled the chamber.
Senate Hearing Room 107 was the site of the incident. It happened moments after the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission finished screening Dr.
Zainab Marwa for the board.
Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong chaired the screening session that day. Witnesses say smoke suddenly poured in from an attached kitchen area.
Senators and visitors rushed for the exits in panic. The formal adjournment never took place.
Video evidence circulating online shows staff members blaming a microwave left running in the kitchen. They struggled to put out flames using whatever tools lay nearby.
Water supply proved inadequate for firefighting efforts. Voices in the background can be heard saying, "the water is not enough."
Fire extinguishers appeared to be missing from the hearing room vicinity. This lack of safety equipment delayed the response.
Senator Ekpenyong worked alongside Senator Salihu Mustapha to control the fire. Parliamentary staff joined them in dousing the flames before they spread wider.
One witness pointed to a gas appliance as the likely culprit. "It was from this gas," the person said.
Furniture and electrical devices packed tightly in the kitchen suffered visible damage. Investigators have not yet assessed the full extent of losses.
Senate officials have remained silent on what exactly triggered the blaze. No formal statement has been released since the incident.
Senate Spokesperson Senator Yemi Adaramodu was unavailable when contacted for details. His office had not responded to requests for information by press time.
