Thugs invade Senate, steal mace

The Senate plenary was on Wednesday disrupted after suspected thugs invaded the chamber and made away with the mace.
The incident happened few seconds after a suspended senator, Ovie Omo-Agege, entered the chamber.
PREMIUM TIMES reporter observed that about 10 suspected thugs who came to the venue with the senator forced their entrance into the chamber.
Seconds later, the thugs ran out of the chamber with the mace causing pandemonium in the Senate.
They left the National Assembly with the mace in a black SUV.
The mace is the symbol of authority of the parliament.
One of the security personnel at the entrance of the National Assembly said the thugs told him and other officers they were with the senator.
“We tried to stop them but they told us they were with him (Omo-Agege),” he said.
The senators are yet to reconvene as at the time of filing this report.
The Senate has accused a lawmaker, Ovie Omo-Agege, of leading hoodlums to seize the mace, which serves as the chamber’s symbol of authority.
In a statement after the incident on Wednesday, Senate spokesperson, Sabi Abdullahi, said the incident is an act of treason.
Read the full statement below:
*RESPONSE TO TODAY’S INCIDENT IN THE SENATE CHAMBER*
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.
The Senate is now in an Executive session.
An updated statement will be released immediately after the closed door session.
*Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi*
*Senate Spokesperson*


Source: Premium Times