Senate orders investigation into sealing of Akwa Ibom State Assembly

Meanwhile, the Senate wednesday ordered a thorough investigation into the alleged invasion of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly.

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 North-East) on the development through Order 43 of the Senate standing rules, alleging that the police action was meant to pave the way for the removal of 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 Wednesday and sealed it, thereby preventing the lawmakers from carrying out their legislative duties.

According to him, reason for the police’s 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, Mr. 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.

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

He 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.

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