Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
A fire outbreak at the National Assembly on Wednesday briefly caused panic among lawmakers, staff and visitors when flames billowed from the Senate wing of the complex shortly after a committee screening exercise.
The incident occurred at Hearing Room 107 following the conclusion of the Senate Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission’s screening of Dr. Zainab Marwa, the nominee representing the North-East on the commission’s board.
The fire was quickly brought under control before it could spread, allowing normal activities within the complex to resume shortly afterwards.
Sources said the blaze originated from the kitchen section of the hearing room, with preliminary reports indicating that a microwave left switched on may have triggered the incident.
Video footage from the scene showed National Assembly staff using fire extinguishers to contain the flames.
Senators Asuquo Ekpenyong and Salihu Mustapha were also said to have joined efforts to tackle the fire and prevent further damage.
No injuries or fatalities were recorded in the incident.
Meanwhile, journalists covering proceedings at the venue were reportedly directed by committee officials to delete photographs and video recordings taken during the fire outbreak.
As of the time of filing this report, authorities had yet to issue an official statement on the cause of the fire.
