A fire incident on Wednesday affected part of the Senate wing of the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, causing temporary concern within the legislative premises before it was swiftly brought under control.
The incident occurred at Hearing Room 107 shortly after the Senate Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) concluded the screening exercise of Dr. Zainab Marwa, the North-East nominee for the NDDC Board.
According to preliminary reports, the fire reportedly originated from the kitchen section of the hearing room and was quickly contained, preventing it from spreading to other parts of the facility.
Sources disclosed that Senators Asuquo Ekpenyong and Salihu Mustapha played active roles in the emergency response, joining efforts to extinguish the flames and avert a potentially larger disaster.
Initial findings suggest that the outbreak may have been caused by a microwave appliance that was allegedly left switched on in the kitchen area.
Fortunately, no injuries or loss of life were recorded, and activities within the National Assembly resumed shortly after the situation was brought under control.
The prompt intervention of emergency responders and lawmakers helped minimise damage and restore normalcy within the affected section of the complex.
Reports also indicated that following the incident, some committee officials directed journalists present at the venue to delete photographs and video recordings taken during the fire outbreak.
As of the time of filing this report, there had been no official statement from National Assembly authorities regarding the extent of damage caused by the incident.
AIV NEWS reports that investigations are expected to determine the exact cause of the fire and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents within the National Assembly Complex.
