Barely 24hours after the Upper legislative chamber lost its symbol of Authority (Mace) to hoodlums who invaded the chamber Wednesday, the Nigeria Police has retrieved and returned the mace to the Senate .
The return of the stolen mace to the Senate was carried out by Deputy Inspector General of Police ( DIG) in charge of operations , Habila Joshaq at exactly 11:55am.
The DIG in returning the mace , handed it to the Clerk to the National Assembly , Mohammed Sani Omolori at the entrance of the central lobby of the National Assembly where the two hallow chambers are located .
As at the time Police returned the mace, Senate was in executive session which started at about 11:06am.
The Police had in a statement early this morning on the recovered mace , said it was found under the bridge at the City Gate by a motorist .
A statement dated 19th April, 2018 and signed by the Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, SP Aremu Adeniran said : ” Sequel to the invasion of the Senate Chambers of the National Assembly, Federal Republic of Nigeria on the 18th April, 2018 by some suspected thugs who disrupted the Senate Plenary Session and carted away the Mace of the Red Chambers, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris NPM, mni, immediately instituted a high-powered Police Investigation and Intelligence Team coordinated by the IGP Monitoring Unit of the Force and further directed a total lockdown of the Federal Capital Territory with intense surveillance patrol and thorough Stop and Search Operations at various Police checkpoints with a view to arresting perpetrators and possible recovery of the stolen Mace.
” The Police teams engaged in massive raids of identified criminal spots/flashpoints, stop and search operations, visibility and confidence building patrols, intelligence gathering which forced the suspected miscreants to abandon the Mace at a point under the flyover before the City Gate, where a patriotic passerby saw it and alerted the Police.
“While a discreet investigation into the incident is still ongoing to arrest and bring the perpetrators to justice, the Nigeria Police Force appreciates the spirited members of the public, most especially motorists within Abuja Metropolis for their support, cooperation and timely information during the rigorous stop and search operations for the recovery of the Mace.
” The renewed commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to guarantee protection of Lives and Property, Peace and Stability and sustain democracy in the country remains unequivocal and unwavering.”
