A huge plum of smoke was seen on Thursday night rising from the House of Representatives section of the National Assembly complex in Abuja following a fire outbreak.
Punch reports that passers-by raised an alarm after noticing the smoke coming out from the second floor of the New Building.
The section which was engulfed by fire includes the wing that houses lawmakers’ offices, committee rooms, banks and other private concerns.
In a statement on Thursday titled ‘Reported Fire Incident at the House of Representatives New Wing Today, Thursday, 11th August, 2022, in the National Assembly Complex,’ The Director of Information, National Assembly, Rawlings Agada, confirmed the incident.
According to Agada, “There was a fire incident this evening in one of the janitors located on the 2nd Floor, Room 227 in the New Wing of the House of Representatives, suspected to have resulted from an electrical fault which was noticed by one of the staff (members attached) to the Clerk, House of Representatives, who promptly alerted the Federal Fire Service unit stationed in the National Assembly Complex.”
Firefighters from the Federal Fire Service, which has a permanent office within the premises, as well as security operatives promptly mobilised to the scene and put out the raging inferno.
Agada noted that the firefighters with the assistance of staff on duty broke into the affected office to put out the fire.
He added that the Fire Service and the Estate and Works Directorate will restore normalcy to the New Wing housing after due assessment, maintaining investigations will be carried out.
He also commended the prompt response of the first responders, particularly National Assembly staff (members) and the Fire Service unit in helping to curtain the fire.
Agada shared photos of the scene, with burnt documents, furniture and other items.
The assembly complex has recorded several fire incidences over the years.
