Senate to quiz IGP, DSS DG over thugs invasion

We won’t be cowed’
Court stops Omo-Agege’s arrest
Mace recovered

It was time to take stock yesterday of Wednesday’s invasion of
the Senate by thugs, who carted away its mace, its symbol of
authority.

The mace was recovered yesterday and returned to the Senate by
the police.

Rising from a one-hour executive session, the Senate resolved to
invite Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris and
Director-General of Department of State Service (DSS) Lawal Daura,
next week to brief it on investigations into the attack.

The Senate added that it won’t be cowed by what happened on
Wednesday.

“I want to assure Nigerians that we will never waver in the
responsibility they have elected us to shoulder. We will all stand
together to defend this institution of the parliament and our
democracy. We will never fear to legislate; and we will never
legislate out of fear,” Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu said
in an address at plenary, which folowed the closed session.

At the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Senator Ovi
Omo-Agege got an injunction stopping the police and DSS from
arresting him.

Ekweremadu, who presided over plenary, said everything must be
done to prevent a recurrence of the dastardly act.

Issues relating to the attack; how to prevent a recurrence and
ensure lasting harmony in the Senate were said to have dominated
the closed session.

Confirming to his colleagues that the mace had been recovered,
Ekweremadu said despite the recovery “it still beats the
imagination of Nigerians and the civilised world that the attackers
passed through the several security checks and barriers into the
National Assembly and the inner recesses of this chamber and also
escaped with the mace into thin air despite the well-known
fortified surroundings of this parliament.”

What happened on Wednesday, he said, must not be allowed to go
unpunished or to be swept under the carpet, adding that the Senate
will get to the root of the matter.

He called on the police and DSS to “ensure that all those, who
plotted, aided, abetted, and executed this dastardly affront on our
democracy and belittled Nigeria before the international community
are brought to book to serve as a deterrent to others.”

Ekweremadu, who read a statement entitled: “The affront on our
laws and institutions must not go unpunished”, said: Distinguished
colleagues, “yesterday (Wednesday), this legislative chamber, the
nation, and the international community were treated to the theatre
of the absurd when armed men invaded the chamber to assault our
staff and cart away the mace, the symbol of authority of the
Senate. It was a very sad testimony, a derogation, and total smear
on our democracy and nation.

“On behalf of the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, I
want to register deep appreciation to you, my colleagues for your
understanding and maturity in the face of flagrant provocation. You
showed forth yourselves as patriots and elderstatesmen and women. I
am indeed proud of you and salute your patriotism.

“I want to also specially appreciate the leadership and members
of the House of Representatives, the management and staff of the
National Assembly, especially our chamber staff for their
gallantry.

“We appreciate Nigerians, the media, civil society
organisations, the political parties, and the international
community for the outpour of solidarity and concern.

“Ugly and provocative as the event of yesterday (Wednesday) was,
it soothes that the entire nation and the world stood together in
total condemnation of the ugly drama, brigandage, and desecration
of the National Assembly by those, who hold themselves above the
laws and institutions of our land.

“Distinguished colleagues, you would also recall that this
hallowed chamber, supported by the House of Representatives,
demanded that the Inspector-General of Police recover and return
the stolen mace to the Senate within 24 hours.

“Concerned colleagues and Nigerians, who wanted to find out if
the mace had been found, have inundated me with calls and messages
since last night. Let me, therefore, formally confirm to you, my
distinguished colleagues, that the mace has been recovered by the
police as we demanded and it is here in this hallowed chamber.

“Nevertheless, we believe that there should be consequence for
bad behaviour. We swore to uphold the laws of the Federal Republic
and the principles of democracy. It still beats the imagination of
Nigerians and the civilised world that the attackers passed through
the several security checks and barriers into the National Assembly
and the inner recesses of this chamber and also escaped with the
mace into the thin air despite the well-known fortified
surroundings of this parliament.

“Therefore, we hold that it will be a detour to the state of
nature where life was lawless and brutish if what happened
yesterday is allowed to go unpunished or to be swept under the
carpet. It will never happen. We will get to the root of the
matter. We call on the Inspector-General of Police and
Director-General of the Department of State Service to ensure that
all those, who plotted, aided, abetted, and executed this dastardly
affront on our democracy and belittled Nigeria before the
international community are brought to book to serve as a deterrent
to others. We will be inviting them next week to brief us on the
state of the investigations.

“This incident has also brought to the fore the case many of us
have always made for a decentralised police system. Ordinarily, a
big institution like the National Assembly should have its own
police, apart from the sergeants-at-arms. However, the security of
this parliament is fully outside the control of the National
Assembly. Instructively, the same gangsterism that was witnessed
here yesterday (Wednesday) has been recorded in various state
Houses of Assembly.

We won’t be cowed’
Court stops Omo-Agege’s arrest
Mace recovered

It was time to take stock yesterday of Wednesday’s invasion of
the Senate by thugs, who carted away its mace, its symbol of
authority.

The mace was recovered yesterday and returned to the Senate by
the police.

Rising from a one-hour executive session, the Senate resolved to
invite Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris and
Director-General of Department of State Service (DSS) Lawal Daura,
next week to brief it on investigations into the attack.

The Senate added that it won’t be cowed by what happened on
Wednesday.

“I want to assure Nigerians that we will never waver in the
responsibility they have elected us to shoulder. We will all stand
together to defend this institution of the parliament and our
democracy. We will never fear to legislate; and we will never
legislate out of fear,” Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu said
in an address at plenary, which folowed the closed session.

At the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Senator Ovi
Omo-Agege got an injunction stopping the police and DSS from
arresting him.

Ekweremadu, who presided over plenary, said everything must be
done to prevent a recurrence of the dastardly act.

Issues relating to the attack; how to prevent a recurrence and
ensure lasting harmony in the Senate were said to have dominated
the closed session.

Confirming to his colleagues that the mace had been recovered,
Ekweremadu said despite the recovery “it still beats the
imagination of Nigerians and the civilised world that the attackers
passed through the several security checks and barriers into the
National Assembly and the inner recesses of this chamber and also
escaped with the mace into thin air despite the well-known
fortified surroundings of this parliament.”

What happened on Wednesday, he said, must not be allowed to go
unpunished or to be swept under the carpet, adding that the Senate
will get to the root of the matter.

He called on the police and DSS to “ensure that all those, who
plotted, aided, abetted, and executed this dastardly affront on our
democracy and belittled Nigeria before the international community
are brought to book to serve as a deterrent to others.”

Ekweremadu, who read a statement entitled: “The affront on our
laws and institutions must not go unpunished”, said: Distinguished
colleagues, “yesterday (Wednesday), this legislative chamber, the
nation, and the international community were treated to the theatre
of the absurd when armed men invaded the chamber to assault our
staff and cart away the mace, the symbol of authority of the
Senate. It was a very sad testimony, a derogation, and total smear
on our democracy and nation.

“On behalf of the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, I
want to register deep appreciation to you, my colleagues for your
understanding and maturity in the face of flagrant provocation. You
showed forth yourselves as patriots and elderstatesmen and women. I
am indeed proud of you and salute your patriotism.

“I want to also specially appreciate the leadership and members
of the House of Representatives, the management and staff of the
National Assembly, especially our chamber staff for their
gallantry.

“We appreciate Nigerians, the media, civil society
organisations, the political parties, and the international
community for the outpour of solidarity and concern.

“Ugly and provocative as the event of yesterday (Wednesday) was,
it soothes that the entire nation and the world stood together in
total condemnation of the ugly drama, brigandage, and desecration
of the National Assembly by those, who hold themselves above the
laws and institutions of our land.

“Distinguished colleagues, you would also recall that this
hallowed chamber, supported by the House of Representatives,
demanded that the Inspector-General of Police recover and return
the stolen mace to the Senate within 24 hours.

“Concerned colleagues and Nigerians, who wanted to find out if
the mace had been found, have inundated me with calls and messages
since last night. Let me, therefore, formally confirm to you, my
distinguished colleagues, that the mace has been recovered by the
police as we demanded and it is here in this hallowed chamber.

“Nevertheless, we believe that there should be consequence for
bad behaviour. We swore to uphold the laws of the Federal Republic
and the principles of democracy. It still beats the imagination of
Nigerians and the civilised world that the attackers passed through
the several security checks and barriers into the National Assembly
and the inner recesses of this chamber and also escaped with the
mace into the thin air despite the well-known fortified
surroundings of this parliament.

“Therefore, we hold that it will be a detour to the state of
nature where life was lawless and brutish if what happened
yesterday is allowed to go unpunished or to be swept under the
carpet. It will never happen. We will get to the root of the
matter. We call on the Inspector-General of Police and
Director-General of the Department of State Service to ensure that
all those, who plotted, aided, abetted, and executed this dastardly
affront on our democracy and belittled Nigeria before the
international community are brought to book to serve as a deterrent
to others. We will be inviting them next week to brief us on the
state of the investigations.

“This incident has also brought to the fore the case many of us
have always made for a decentralised police system. Ordinarily, a
big institution like the National Assembly should have its own
police, apart from the sergeants-at-arms. However, the security of
this parliament is fully outside the control of the National
Assembly. Instructively, the same gangsterism that was witnessed
here yesterday (Wednesday) has been recorded in various state
Houses of Assembly.