A fire outbreak on Wednesday briefly disrupted activities within the Senate wing of the National Assembly Complex in Abuja before it was swiftly brought under control by emergency responders.

The incident occurred shortly after the Senate Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) concluded the screening of Zainab Marwa for appointment as the North-East representative on the commission’s board.

According to sources within the National Assembly, the fire started in the kitchen area attached to Hearing Room 107, the venue of the screening exercise. Preliminary reports indicated that the blaze may have been caused by a microwave explosion after the appliance was allegedly left unattended.

The incident triggered panic as smoke billowed from the affected area, forcing lawmakers, legislative staff and visitors nearby to evacuate while efforts were made to contain the fire.

Emergency responders acted swiftly, preventing the flames from spreading to adjoining offices and other sections of the legislative complex.

No casualties were recorded, and officials confirmed that no sensitive documents, equipment or valuable property were damaged during the incident.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on the NDDC, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, alongside Senator Salihu Mustapha, who represents Kwara Central Senatorial District, remained at the scene and coordinated response efforts until the situation was brought under control.

The fire was eventually extinguished, restoring normalcy to the area and averting what could have escalated into a major incident within the nation’s legislative headquarters.

As of the time of filing this report, the management of the National Assembly had yet to issue an official statement regarding the incident.