Here's Senate Official Reaction To The Invasion & Stealing Of Mace

In a statement, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs Chairman Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi said: “Today, some armed hoodlums led by suspended Senator Ovie Omo-Agege walked into the Senate plenary and seized the symbol of authority of the Upper Legislative Chamber, the mace. “This action is an act of treason, as it is an attempt to overthrow a branch of the Federal Government of Nigeria by force, and it must be treated as such. “All security agencies must stand on the side of due process and immediately mobilise their personnel to retrieve the mace and apprehend the mastermind and the perpetrators of this act.

“This action is also an affront on the legislature, and the leadership of the House has come to express their support against this action. In another statement entitled: “Senate back in session with mace in place” Abdullahi said: “The Senate has resumed plenary after coming out of an executive (closed door) session where the earlier incident of forceful removal of the mace was deliberated upon. “The Senate decided that it will get to the root of this sad assault on democracy and an obvious act of treason which the seizure of the mace by some armed hoodlums represents. The hoodlums severely attacked some members of staff of the National Assembly, particularly the sergeant-at-arms on chamber duties. “The Senate has mandated the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Idris Kpotum Ibrahim and Director-General of the State Security Services (SSS), Mallam Lawan Daura, to retrieve the mace stolen by the hoodlums within 24 hours.”

In a statement entitled: “Attack on Senate: Saraki commends colleagues, House members for defending democracy,” the Senate President hailed the lawmakers for defending democracy. Saraki said by their action, the lawmakers had sent a strong signal that enemies of democracy and those who want to undermine the legislature would be resisted by parliamentarians. “I have just been informed that some hoodlums invaded the Senate chamber, forcefully took away the mace and assaulted some of our sergeant-at-arms on chamber duties. I am delighted that the Senate stood up to them by disregarding their unreasonable and shameful action and went on with the day’s proceedings as slated in the order paper. “My commendation goes to my deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, other members of the leadership, my colleagues, the leadership and members of the House of Representatives for standing in defence of democracy, parliamentary sanctity and constitutionalism. “With the way the Senate has defied those seeking to undermine it, we have sent out a strong signal that we are always ready to defend our constitutional mandate and nothing will deter us from this. “I associate myself with the comments of the Deputy Senate President that we are ready to get to the root of this assault on democracy and ensure that those who are responsible, no matter how remote, will be brought to justice”, Saraki said. Senator Solomon Adeola (Lagos West) was identified as one of the two senators the thugs attempted to kidnap. Adeola was said to have mistakenly entered one of the SUVs used by the thugs. The senator was said to have struggled with the thugs before they let him off the around the Villa Gate area of the National Assembly. A senator from Imo State was said to the second person the thugs tried to kidnap.