Senate Probes Alleged Police Invasion of Akwa Ibom Assembly

The Senate on Wednesday ordered a   thorough investigation into the alleged invasion of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly in Uyo by officers and men of the Nigeria Police.

Its Committee on Police headed by Senator Tijani Kaura (Zamfara North) has therefore been given a 48-hour ultimatum to urgently look into the reported police seal up of the assembly and report back to the Senate.

This is sequel to a motion moved by Senator Albert Akpan (PDP-Akwa Ibom Northeast) on the development through Order 43 of the Senate standing rules, alleging that the police action was meant to pave way for the removal of the state Governor, Udom Emmanuel, from office.

 Akpan informed his colleagues that over 1, 500 policemen invaded the premises of the House of Assembly in the early hours of yesterday and sealed it, thereby preventing the lawmakers from carrying out their legislative duties.

According to him, reason for the police action is still unclear, but warned that security agencies should not involve themselves in partisan politics.

He therefore urged the upper legislative chamber to direct the Inspector General of Police (IG), Ibrahim Idris, to order his men out of the assembly complex so that the state lawmakers could have access to their offices and the chamber and discharge their legislative functions.

"Mr. (Senate) President, I want this Senate to direct the Committee on Police Affairs to investigate the police sealing off the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly. The Senate should first order the vacation of the assembly complex by the police.

"According to what I heard, over 1, 500 policemen invaded and sealed the state House of Assembly this (yesterday) morning and they're still there as I speak. I want my colleagues to know that a threat to democracy in Akwa Ibom State is a threat to democracy in Nigeria," he stressed.

Contributing, Senator Shehu Sani (Kaduna Central) described the sealing of the assembly as "a breach on principle of democracy, clearly ambiguous and an aberration which should not be supported by any senator because of politics."

He, therefore, urged the Senate to take a strong position on the police action so as to send a serious signal to the security agencies against interference in legislative functions.

Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, therefore, directed the Committee on Police Affairs to investigate the alleged sealing of the assembly complex by the police in order to ascertain the reason for their action.

He said: "What is wrong is wrong! It's wrong for a parliament to be sealed by security agents. We should not be partisan about it, but it's necessary we allow the Committee on Police Affairs to investigate it because it's still an allegation by a member which should be investigated."

He therefore mandated the Police Committee to thoroughly investigate the allegation and report back to plenary within 48 hours "after which the Senate can take action."

Akpan told journalists after plenary that five out of 26 lawmakers in Akwa Ibom State, who claimed to have sacked the assembly leadership, are trying to remove the governor by causing trouble  through the police invasion in the state.

According to him, "There were no cases of armed robbery, kidnappings and criminal activities in the state until the defection of my leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Congress (APC)."

The lawmaker said he had informed the Senate on the alleged orchestrated plan by the APC to disrupt peace in the state ahead of next year's general election.