Senate Invasion: Ekweremadu Briefs Osinbajo, FG Orders Probe

Olawale Ajimotokan, Damilola Oyedele and Paul Obi in Abuja

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu Wednesday briefed Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on the invasion of the Senate chamber by thugs.

In a quick response to the incident, the Federal Government has ordered security agencies to unravel the circumstances that warranted the breach of security that led to the invasion. It also said security around the National Assembly complex would be reinforced to prevent a recurrence.

Speaking with reporters shortly after briefing the Vice President, Senator Ekweremadu said: “I am sure you are aware of the Senate invasion today and we have to come and brief the Vice President because the President is not in town.

“So it was appropriate for him to know what transpired because we run democracy, we are all in one government and it is the responsibility of the President or the Vice President to ensure law and order in the country and once we have this kind of major development it is important that he is briefed at the earliest opportunity.”

Ekweremadu, who presided over the Senate session when the hoodlums stormed the chamber, said, “The invasion of the parliament is not acceptable to any person, it is not acceptable to me, it is not acceptable to the VP, it is not acceptable to my colleagues, I believe its not also acceptable to the President.

“So those who acted this script must be on their own. All we need to do as a country is to ensure that this is forestalled and I want to appeal to the media to help us discourage this kind of brigandage so that people have to behave in a very responsible manner.”

He said Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, believed to have masterminded the invasion, was not supposed to be in the chamber because he was on suspension.

“It was a breach of the law for him to force himself into the chambers. As I said, police is still investigating and we are going to find out the details of those who aided him to come in and then some of them I believe have been arrested and we will get to the root of the matter,” he said.

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, who issued the statement announcing the directive to security agencies to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident, said the federal government was shocked by the invasion.

Meanwhile, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command kept mum on the arrest of Senator Omo-Agege.

Commissioner of Police in charge of FCT Command, Sadiq Bello, declined to comment on the matter when THISDAY called his phone.

Bello also did not respond to text messages sent to his phone for updates on police investigation.