A fire that broke out in a committee room at the Senate wing of the National Assembly complex in Abuja was contained before it could spread to adjoining sections of the legislative headquarters, with no casualties reported and no sensitive documents or equipment lost, though the incident raised immediate questions about safety standards within one of Nigeria’s most strategically important public buildings.
The blaze erupted shortly after the Senate Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission concluded the screening of Zainab Marwa as the North-East representative on the NDDC board, with sources within the complex saying the fire appeared to have been triggered by the explosion of an unattended microwave oven in the kitchen area attached to Hearing Room 107, where the screening exercise had taken place.
Smoke quickly began billowing from the affected area, prompting lawmakers, legislative staff, and visitors to evacuate as emergency responders moved in to contain the spread. Senate Committee on NDDC Chairman Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong and Senator Salihu Mustapha representing Kwara Central remained at the scene throughout the response effort and played active roles in coordinating the containment, helping prevent the fire from reaching adjoining offices and other sections of the complex.
The National Assembly management had not yet made a formal statement on the incident at the time of reporting, leaving questions about safety inspection protocols, maintenance standards, and emergency preparedness in one of the country’s most symbolically and operationally significant public buildings unanswered.
