Fire Breaks Out in Senate Hearing Room, Senators Help Douse Flames

Wednesday June 10, 2026
www.thenewsdesk.ng

By Our REPORTER

A fire broke out Wednesday, June 10, 2026, in a kitchen compartment inside the Nigerian Senate wing of the National Assembly in Abuja, sending smoke billowing through a hearing room before two senators helped put out the blaze.

The incident occurred in Senate hearing room 107 shortly after the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission concluded the screening of Dr. Zainab Marwa, nominated to represent the Northeast on the commission’s board.

Smoke rapidly filled the room, causing a brief commotion among those present. Investigators later determined that a microwave left running in the kitchen had started the fire.

Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong of Cross River South, who chairs the Niger Delta Development Commission committee, and Senator Salihu Mustapha intervened directly to douse the flames before they could spread further. No injuries were reported and the fire did not reach other parts of the building.

The National Assembly has faced recurring concerns about fire safety and emergency preparedness in its sprawling complex, though Wednesday’s incident was contained before firefighting services were needed.

Ekpenyong chairs the Senate committee responsible for overseeing the NDDC, the federal agency tasked with developing Nigeria’s oil-producing Niger Delta region.