THE
Nigeria Police has narrated why thugs overpowered its personnel at the
National Assembly, gained entrance into the legislative chamber of the
Nigerian Senate in broad day light and stole the chamber’s symbol of
authority, the Mace.
Thugs had last month attacked the Senate while plenary was on and carted away the Mace in the presence of lawmakers and security personnel.
The
incident raised concerns in some quarters how the thugs were able to
gain entrance into the chamber despite all the security personnel
attached to the National Assembly.
Narrating how they were
overpowered by the thugs, the Sergeant-at-Arms to the National Assembly,
Brighton Danwalex, said lack of non-functional security gadgets to
enhance operational capacity was why the hoodlums gained entrance into
the complex and carted away the Mace.
Danwalex
stated this when he appeared before an investigative hearing into the
incident by joint ad hoc committee probing the incident on Wednesday.
“There is no functional walkie-talkie; we would have alerted all the exit points.
“The
CCTV is not functioning and there is only one operational patrol
vehicle and the entrance into the white house requires biometric doors,” he said.
Danwalex
said that report from investigation after the incident revealed that a
senator, Ali Ndume, instructed the men assigned to protect the mace not
to touch it during the invasion.
According to him, it was wrong for them to take orders from Mr Ndume.
“Security men are having challenges with some legislators because they don’t want to follow checks,” Danwalex said.
Narrating
his own side of what transpired, the Divisional Police Officer in the
National Assembly, Sulu-Gambari Abdul said what happened was an internal
conspiracy.
Mr Abdul said what played out at the National
Assembly on the said day the incident occurred was a conspiracy between
some security agencies and some lawmakers.
“There should be a
synergy between security agencies and the lawmakers but in this case the
attack came from the roof as the senators are not helping security
matters.
“On April 16, there was an earlier hint that a
group planned to invade the National Assembly and disrupt activities,
which called for a build-up of security with two units of mobile police
mobilised to the complex.
“However,
on April 18, at about 11 a.m., my attention was drawn to a group
protesting at the gate, and while I moved to address the group I was
informed that some people were running away with the mace.
“I signaled all the entry points that nobody drives in or out but three
men approached me identifying themselves as security operatives and
requested to be allowed to go.
“The strain of blood on their clothes made me suspicious and I ordered that they should be arrested.
“In all, six people were arrested same day and handed over to the Force Headquarters alongside charms recovered from them.
“In addition, an unmarked Prado jeep and a Toyota Hilux were impounded and they are with the police.
“It
was later that I observed that the protest was a diversionary attention
to move me out and that the protesters were same group with those that
attacked,” Abdul said.
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