Senate probes police role in Ondo Assembly crisis.

The Senate on Tuesday mandated its Committee on Police Affairs to carry out investigation of alleged prevention of lawmakers from accessing the chamber of the Ondo State House of Assembly by some policemen.

The upper chamber of the National Assembly also called on the security personnel involved to vacate the premises for the lawmakers to carry out their legislative duties.
The resolutions followed the adoption of a motion moved by the Minority Leader, Biodun Olujimi (PDP, Ekiti - South).

Olujimi drew the attention of the chamber to the role played by the police in the crisis among Ondo lawmakers and said the Senate must rise in defence of parliamentary democracy .

She said, “As I speak, lawmakers in Ondo State House of Assembly are not allowed to access their hallowed chamber by men of the Nigeria Police Force.

“This persistent illegal action of security operatives in legislative houses must be stopped. Such illegality and brutality were carried out in Benue against elected lawmakers , in Kogi and recently in Akwa Ibom State . It must stop with this Ondo incident if democracy must survive in Nigeria ”

A lawmaker from Ondo , Senator Ajayi Boroffice (APC, Ondo -North), backed Olujimi, and said the situation must not be allowed to continue.
The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, called for the enforcement of relevant provisions of the Legislative Powers and Privileges Act to prevent such interference by security agencies.

According to him, if Section 8 (2) of the Act which stipulates N 100,000 fine or six months jail term for any person or group of persons who hinder the movement of legislators in the bid of carrying out their legislative duties is enforced, repeated invasion or siege on legislative houses by police or operatives of any security agencies would stop.

Other senators like Gbenga Ashafa (APC Lagos East), and Isa Misau (PDP Bauchi Central) also condemned the alleged police action in Ondo State.

In his remarks, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, asked the Committee on Police Affairs to carry out investigation into the Ondo incident and report back urgently.

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