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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 brought under control.
The incident occurred at Senate Hearing Room 107, shortly after the Senate Committee on 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 filled the room from an attached kitchen section, triggering confusion as senators and guests scrambled out before the sitting could be formally adjourned.
In a now-viral video, some staff members were heard attributing the fire to a spark from a microwave left unattended in the kitchen area, while others struggled to contain the blaze with limited firefighting tools.
Attempts to extinguish the fire were reportedly hampered by inadequate water supply, with voices heard in the background shouting, “the water is not enough.”
Concerns were also raised about the apparent absence of functional fire extinguishers within the immediate vicinity of the hearing room, as staff and security personnel battled to prevent the flames from spreading further.
The situation was eventually brought under control through the intervention of Senator Ekpenyong, alongside Senator Salihu Mustapha and parliamentary staff, who helped douse the fire before it could escalate.
A witness was later heard pointing to one of the affected appliances, saying, “it was from this gas.”
The kitchen compartment, which is attached to the hearing room and contains tightly packed furniture and appliances, was visibly damaged by the incident.
The Senate has yet to issue an official statement on the exact cause of the fire or the full extent of the damage.
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