Fire panic at NASS as Senate hearing room evacuated

By Haruna Salami

Panic gripped the Senate wing of the National Assembly Complex on Wednesday when a sudden fire outbreak forced lawmakers, staff, and visitors into a hasty evacuation before emergency efforts brought the flames under control.
The incident occurred at Senate Hearing Room 107, moments after the Senate Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)—chaired by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong—concluded the screening of Dr. Zainab Marwa for the commission’s board.
According to eyewitnesses, thick smoke suddenly billowed from a kitchen compartment adjoining the hearing room.
The sudden influx of smoke triggered immediate confusion, forcing senators, aides, and guests to rush out of the venue before the proceedings could be formally adjourned.
Social media footage from the scene captured the frantic moments as staff members scrambled to contain the fire with limited tools.
In the videos, some staff suggested the fire may have been triggered by an electrical spark from a microwave, while a later clip showed a witness pointing to an appliance, stating, “It was from this gas.”
The containment efforts reportedly exposed critical safety gaps within the complex. Initial attempts to douse the flames were hindered by a severe shortage of water, with voices in the background heard shouting, “The water is not enough.”
Furthermore, witnesses raised concerns over an apparent lack of functional fire extinguishers in the immediate vicinity, leaving staff and security personnel to improvise to keep the fire from spreading to the main hearing area.
This incident occurred just after the NDDC screening of Dr. Zainab Marwa.
Conflicting initial reports point to either a microwave electrical spark or a gas appliance issue in the adjoining kitchen.
Some staff noted a lack of functional fire extinguishers and inadequate water supply during the initial response.
The fire, which was confined to the kitchen compartment, threatened an area densely packed with furniture and electrical appliances.
However, a major disaster was averted through the swift intervention of Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, Senator Salihu Mustapha, and proactive support staff who managed to extinguish the flames before they could escalate.
At the time of this report, the Senate leadership had not yet issued an official statement regarding the precise cause of the fire or the total value of the property damaged.