A fire outbreak in the Senate wing of the National Assembly Complex in Abuja on Wednesday sparked panic among lawmakers, staff and visitors, with efforts to contain the blaze reportedly hindered by a shortage of water and the absence of functional fire extinguishers.
The incident occurred in Hearing Room 107 shortly after the Senate Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) concluded the screening of Zainab Marwa for appointment as the North-East representative on the commission’s governing board.
President Bola Tinubu had, on June 4, asked the Senate to confirm Marwa’s appointment.
Eyewitnesses said thick smoke suddenly emerged from the kitchen section attached to the hearing room, forcing senators, parliamentary workers and guests to evacuate the area as emergency efforts began.
Sources within the National Assembly said preliminary findings indicated that the fire may have originated from a microwave oven allegedly left switched on in the kitchen.
A video circulating online showed officials and staff scrambling to contain the blaze, with some attributing it to a spark from one of the kitchen appliances.
Witnesses said the initial response was slowed by inadequate water supply.
“The water is not enough,” voices were heard shouting in the video as people struggled to prevent the fire from spreading.
Concerns were also raised over the apparent lack of functional fire extinguishers near the hearing room, leaving staff and security personnel with limited options in the early stages of the emergency.
Senators Asuquo Ekpenyong, chairman of the Senate Committee on NDDC, and Salihu Mustapha were said to have led efforts to contain the fire. Their intervention, alongside parliamentary staff and other officials, helped bring the situation under control before it spread to adjoining sections of the complex.
At one point, a witness was heard pointing to an affected appliance and saying, “It was from this gas.”
The kitchen compartment, which contains appliances and furniture used during committee activities, sustained visible damage.
No casualties were reported.
As of the time of filing this report, the Senate had not issued an official statement on the cause of the fire or the extent of the damage. Efforts to reach Yemi Adaramodu, chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, for comment were unsuccessful.
