…as court stops Omo-Agege’s arrest
The police have returned the mace which was stolen from the Senate, about 24 hours after some hoodlums invaded the Red Chamber.
A top personnel of the force handed over the mace to the Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr Sani Omolori, on Thursday at the assembly complex in Abuja
On Wednesday, some hoodlums stormed the Upper House and disrupted proceedings by snatching the mace from the chamber.
The Senate also summoned the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, and Director-General of the Department of State Services, DSS, Lawal Daura, to appear and brief it on investigations into the invasion of its hallowed chambers on Wednesday.
It also vowed that the culprits will not go unpunished.
Meanwhile, an Abuja High Court sitting at Maitama, yesterday, restrained the Nigerian Police Force and the Department of State Service, DSS, from arresting Senator Ovie Omo-Agege over Wednesday’s invasion of the Senate and theft of the Mace which is its symbol of authority, by thugs.
Chief Judge of the High Court, Justice Ishaq Bello, gave the order following an ex-parte motion the Senator who is representing Delta Central Senatorial District, filed through his team of lawyers.
Specifically, the court issued “an order of interim injunction restraining the respondents, their agents and/or servants arresting and/or detaining the applicant either in their custody or any other law enforcement agency, or its servants, agents or privies or through any person working in concert with the respondent as its agents, by whatever means or however described pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed in this suit.
“An order of interim injunction restraining the respondents, their representatives, agents or privies, howsoever described from any attempt or threat to violate the applicant’s fundamental right to personal liberty and right to freedom of movement pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed in this suit.
As well as “An order of interim injunction restraining the respondents from taking any or further steps detrimental to the applicant’s aforementioned fundamental rights to the applicant’s rights in connection with the facts stated in this matter pending the hearing of the motion on notice filed in this suit.”
The court held that the order will persist until a fundamental right enforcement suit that Omo-Agege filed before it is heard and determined.
Cited as Respondents in the suit were the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, Sadiq Bello, and the Director-General of DSS, Lawal Daura.
Justice Bello adjourned hearing on the substantive suit marked: FCT/HC/CV/1522/2018, which he transferred to Justice Usman Musale of the high court in Jabi, till May 7.
