the Police Mobile Force unit of the Nigeria Police, on
Friday stormed the Edo State House of Assembly in
commando style to stop on-going renovation at the
Assembly.
As a result, there was apprehension around the Anthony Enahoro Complex of the Assembly at Ring Road, Benin City, as people
gathered to watch policemen barking orders to
construction workers on the roof top removing roofing
sheets of the Assembly to come down.
The Assembly complex is currently undergoing
renovation following alleged vandalism of the facility by
the suspended former Deputy Speaker, Festus Ebea and
eight other lawmakers.
Speaking on the invasion of the complex by anti-riot
policemen, the House Committee Chairman on
Information, Youth and Sports, Hon. Kabiru Adjoto, told
journalists that the policemen who were led by Assistant
Superintendent of Police, Florence Joseph, on arrival,
allegedly tear-gassed the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Uyi Igbe and
threatened to shoot him.
He added that workers hired by the Assembly to carry
out the renovation were thoroughly beaten by the
policemen before they were chased away from the
premises, just as civil servants working at the Assembly,
were said to have run for dear life in the ensuing
commotion.
Hon. Adjoto accused the police of colluding with the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to destabilise Edo State,
saying that both the state Commissioner of Police and
the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 5, denied
deploying policemen to the Assembly.
"These are rifles they are supposed to take to Sambisa
forest to free our girls, they are here intimidating welders
and other workers carrying out renovation", Adjoto
fumed.
Speaking to journalists, Mr. Ebea, who was impeached
on Wednesday, described the renovation as an attempt
to stop PDP lawmakers from participating in sittings in
the Assembly, just as he described the work as a waste
of fund, as according to him, the Assembly building was
re-roofed just last year.
However, in what looked like a contradiction of the
statement by Hon. Adjoto, the State Police
Commissioner, CP Foluso Adebanjo said yesterday, the
Command, based on security reports, deployed
policemen to the Assembly to stop the work temporarily.
Since the renovation began, members loyal to Governor
Adams Oshiomhole, have relocated to the old Exco
Chamber at the Government House, Benin.
No comments:
Post a Comment