Mace theft: I can’t be under arrest - Omo-Agege tells Police

Mace theft: I can’t be under arrest - Omo-Agege tells Police

- After his apprehension at the Senate, following the mace theft episode, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege reportedly told police officers that he can’t be arrested

- The senator had previously been suspended by the red chamber for 90 legislative days, for faulting the Senate on the bill reordering the elections sequence

- With the suspension, Omo-Agege was expected to stay away from the National Assembly; and his appearance at the Senate chamber was against Section 22 of the Senate Standing Order

The Nigerian Police Force, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, on Wednesday, April 18, arrested suspended lawmaker, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege (APC-Delta) at the National Assembly Complex over the Senate mace snatching saga.

The FCT's commissioner of police, Sadiq Bello, led the team of policemen, who arrested the senator and whisked him away in a Hilux van with registration number NPF 840 at about 1.50pm, NAN reports.

Legit.ng learnt that before he was taken away, Omo-Agege had told the police that the court had pronounced that the National Assembly “and specifically the Senate, has no power to suspend a senator for one day. I can’t be under arrest; for what purpose?’’

Omo-Agege who was sighted in the upper chamber during the day’s plenary, was apprehended when he stepped out at the end of the session.

READ ALSO: Thug who snatched Senate’s mace, exposed

The Senate had on April 12, suspended the lawmaker over an alleged “dissenting comment’’ on the decision of the chamber on adoption of conference report on INEC Act (2010) Amendment Bill.

The suspension, which would last for 90 legislative days, emanated from the report of the Committee on Ethics Privileges and Public Petitions presented at plenary. Presenting the report, the chairman of the committee, Senator Sam Anyanwu, said the committee’s probe followed a Point-of-Order raised by Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi-APC) on the matter.

According to Anyanwu, Melaye drew the Senate’s attention to a media briefing by Omo-Agege, faulting the Senate’s adoption of the conference’s report on February 14. He said that Melaye further intimated the Senate that the media briefing by Omo-Agege indicated that the resolution of the Senate was targeted at President Muhammadu Buhari.

Anyanwu added that following the committee’s investigation into the matter, it was resolved among other things, that Omo-Agege be suspended for 181 legislative days.

The recommended suspension was later reduced to 90 legislative days by the president of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, while giving his remarks on the issue.

With the suspension, Omo-Agege was expected to stay away from the National Assembly; but his appearance at the Assembly, and indeed, the Senate chamber, was against Section 22 of the Senate Standing Order (2015) as amended.

The section states that “a member of a Legislative House who has been suspended from the service of that House shall not enter or remain within the Chamber or precincts of the House in contravention of this section. He may be forcibly removed therefrom by any officer of the House and no proceedings shall lie in any court against such office in respect of such removal.’’

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the names of five persons who reportedly entered the Senate to steal the mace which is the symbol of authority of the Red Chamber had emerged.

The names emerged on Wednesday, April 18, hours after they were arrested by the FCT Police Command.

The suspects were allegedly led into the Senate by Senator Ovie Omo-Agege as a protest against his suspension.

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Source: Legit.ng

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