Senate invasion: NASS moves against Omo-Agege, others

A year after the invasion of the Senate by hoodlums who carted away the mace before it was recovered by the Police, the two chambers of the National Assembly are set to take final steps on the ugly incident.

The invasion of the chambers of the Senate on Wednesday, April 18, 2018, threw the legislature into shock and panic as to the audacity of the invaders and the manner in which they broke security cordon around the Three Arms Zone.

Investigators in the Senate confirmed on Thursday that the report of the National Assembly Adhoc Committee which investigated the invasion has been  slated for debate next week.

A source in the Senate said that the committee headed by Senate Deputy Majority Leader, Senator  Bala Ibn Na’Allah (APC Kebbi South), had actually completed its work some months back , but delay in slating the report  for consideration was due to party primaries and general election  challenges and other national matters which affected the federal lawmakers from August last year to March this year.

” Now, the two chambers have resolved to deal with the matter before the expiration of their tenure  and by next week, the report has to be debated,” the source said.

The source with clear insights into the report said some major actors were indicted in the report and that those indicted were recommended for punishment contained in the Legislative Powers and Privileges Act, which recommended a minimum of six months  imprisonment  for the obstruction of lawmakers in the performance of their legislative duties. 

The senator representing Delta Central senatorial district, Ovie Omo-Agege was suspected to have taken part in the invasion and abduction of the Senate mace on the said day but he subsequently went to court to prevent being punished by the chamber.

The chamber had actually singled him out for suspension but the court injunction he secured stopped the suspicion.

Sources in the know about the report said that the report classified some actions as major and minor culprits and that punishments were recommended accordingly.

It was learnt that  the decision to axe whoever is linked to the mace theft was fuelled by indications that some of the said actors have been parading endorsement of the ruling party for one position or the other in the incoming  9th Assembly.

A source stated: “A number of lawmakers are angered that there should be no reward for those who have one way or the other linked to obstruction and invasion of the Assembly. If charges are pressed against them, some of them could serve up to six years in prison, in accordance with the Legislative Powers and Privileges Act, which is in force. 

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