April 18, 2018

The Senate on Wednesday said the forceful removal of the Mace, its symbol of authority for the legislative responsibility, by suspected hoodlums, was a treasonable act. The thugs were suspected to be loyal to suspended Senator Ovie Omo-Agege ( APC Delta central).

They boldly walked into the Senate chambers behind the suspended senator who made a strange appearance on the floor of the Senate and snatched the mace. Lawmakers and assembly workers who tried to stop them were easily shoved aside.

Meanwhile the police have arrested Senator Omo-Agege who as press time was still being interrogated.
The stunned lawmakers later regrouped and gave the police authorities and the DSS 24 hours within which to fish out the seized mace. They later continued with their sitting after an alternative mace was brought into the chamber.

The thugs looked organised as they came in a convoy of three vehicles, according to National Assembly sources,
Spokesman of the upper chamber, Sen. Sabi Abdullahi, had earlier issued a statement in which he condemned the act.

“Today, some armed hoodlums led by suspended Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, walked into the Senate plenary and seized the symbol of authority of the Upper Legislative Chamber, the mace.
“This action is an act of treason as it is an attempt to overthrow a branch of the Federal Government of Nigeria by force, and it must be treated as such.”

He urged all security agencies to stand on the side of due process and immediately mobilise their personnel to retrieve the mace and apprehend the mastermind and the perpetrators of the act.
Abdullahi said that the action was also an affront on the legislature, adding that the leadership of House of Representatives had expressed support against this action.