A brief fire outbreak at the National Assembly complex has on Wednesday caused panic among lawmakers and officials of the legislative chamber.
The incident which occurred at the Senate wing of the National Assembly was swiftly contained by some of the lawmakers who put out the fire and averted possible spread.
According to reports, the fire erupted in the kitchen compartment of Hearing Room 107 shortly after the Senate Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) concluded the screening of Dr. Zainab Marwa, the nominee representing the North-East on the commission’s board.
The committee, chaired by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, had just concluded the exercise when smoke engulfed from the area.
Video shared on X showed the lawmakers and staff present evacuating the room to assess the fire outbreak which an official initially claimed to be caused by gas leak from the kitchen cabinet.
Eyewitnesses said Senator Ekpenyong, alongside Senator Salihu Mustapha, acted swiftly to contain the situation, preventing the fire from escalating into a major incident.
However,preliminary findings indicated that the fire originated from a microwave oven that had been left switched on in the kitchen.
The prompt response by the two senators ensured that the flames were extinguished before causing significant damage to the facility or disrupting activities within the National Assembly complex.
No casualties or injuries were reported, and normal activities resumed shortly after the incident was brought under control.
See video below