The National Assembly
has summoned the senator representing Delta central, Ovie Omo-Agege, and the senator
representing Borno south, Ali Ndume, over their alleged roles in the theft of
the senate’s mace.
On April 18, Omo-Agege
invaded the red chamber with suspected thugs and the mace, the symbol of
authority of the upper legislative chamber, was stolen in the process.
Ndume was accused of preventing
the sergeant-at-arms from guarding the mace.
The senate had given the
police a 24-hour ultimatum to recover the mace and it was returned to the
senate the next day.
Speaking at the resumed
hearing of a joint ad hoc committee of the senate and House of Representatives,
on Tuesday, Bala Na’Allah, its chairperson, said the two lawmakers were invited
based on the testimony of the sergeant-at-arms, which indicted them.
Na’Allah said it was in
order for them to respond to the allegations levelled against them.
“Based on the testimony of
the sergeant at arms before the committee, you are alleged to have prevented
the mace keeper from taking away the mace to safety,” the chairman read out the
letter inviting the lawmakers.
“The committee has,
therefore, deemed it necessary to invite you in order to respond to that
allegation. As regards to Omo-Agege, based on the testimony of the DPO, the SSS
and the sergeant at arms, you are alleged to have entered the national assembly
accompanied by seven persons who allegedly took the mace of the senate during
plenary session on April 18, at about 11:30 am
“All those who testified,
stated that the said people were cleared into the chamber based on your
confirmation that they were with you. The committee in pursuance of this has deemed
it necessary to formally invite you to respond to these allegations on
Wednesday, May 16 at 11:00am.”
At an earlier hearing, the
police accused some unnamed lawmakers of colliding with the suspects said to
steal the mace.
“There should be cooperation
between security agencies and the lawmakers but in this case, the attack came
from the roof as the senators are not helping security matters,” Sulu-Gambari
Abdul, divisional police officer (DPO) of the national assembly, had said.
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