Policemen Barricade Cross River House of Assembly

Bassey Inyang

Scores of well-armed, combat-ready policemen yesterday in Calabar cordoned off all roads leading to the Cross River State House of Assembly located close to the UJ. Esuene Stadium and the Headquarters of the Naval base, NSS Victory.

The policemen, it appeared were drafted to stop any movement in and out of the Assembly complex to forestall possible breakdown of law and order following the judgment delivered on Monday by a Federal High Court in Abuja, which sacked 20 lawmakers from the state, with 18 of them being the State House of Assembly members from the stable of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The remaining two also members of the APC are federal lawmakers.

The Abuja court presided by Justice Taiwo Taiwo sent the lawmakers packing following their defection from the PDP to the APC based on a petition brought before the court by their former political party.

However, staff of the Assembly, and visitors were kept at bay from its entrance gate which is directly opposite the UJ. Esuene stadium. Aside from the policemen, staff and visitors who may have had some transactions to carryout, some youths suspected to be loyalists to politicians that were affected, were seen in battle ready mode.

At the time of the filing the report there was no official statement from the police on the matter.