An Enugu based political pressure group, Southern Nigeria Peoples Mandate (SNPM), has called on the Inspector General of Police to investigate the role of security operatives attached to the National Assembly in yesterday’s invasion of the Senate and snatching of the mace at Senate chambers.
The president of the group Mr. Augustine Chukwudum, made the call while speaking to newsmen in Enugu on Thursday.
While urging the IGP to particularly investigate the roles of policemen serving at the National Assembly, Mr. Chukwudum said that after a clear study of the situation it will be clear that there was a security compromise that led to the invasion.
He added that a careful investigation will also reveal the officers whose action or negligence gave unhindered access to the hoodlums to enter the Senate chambers.
“The matter should not be treated in the usual Nigerian way because anytime this kind of thing happens you only hear of condemnation and no action is taken.
“The matter must not be treated as partisan affair; it must be thoroughly investigated and must not be swept under the carpet.
“The IGP and Director-General of Department of State Security (DSS) must not just arrest, but prosecute those involved to serve as a deterrent to others out there thinking to act in a similar way,’’ he said.
Mr. Chukwudum pointed out that prosecuting the perpetrators through the instrumentality of the Attorney General of the Federation would prove that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration does not support impunity in any form.
He spoke even as the Senate decided to Mr Ibrahim Idris, the Inspector-General of Police and Lawan Daura, the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) over the theft of the mace.
Speaking at the Senate’s plenary session on Thursday, deputy senate president Ike Ekweremadu said that the upper legislative chamber is summoning the IGP and the DSS DG to appear before it next week so as to brief it on the outcome of the investigation regarding the incident.
He noted that as “ugly and provocative as the event of yesterday was, it showed the entire nation and the world stood together in total condemnation of the desecration of the national assembly by those who hold themselves above the law,”.
Ekweremadu who presided over the Senate’s session said despite the return of the Mace, “there should be a consequence for bad behavior.
“Therefore, we hold that it will be a detour to the state of nature where life was lawless and brutish if what happened yesterday is allowed to go unpunished and swept under the carpet. It will never happen. We will get to the root of this matter.
“We, therefore, call on the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General of SSS to ensure that all those who plotted, aided, abated and executed this dastardly affront on our democracy and belittle Nigerians before the international community must be brought to book to serve as a deterrent to others.
“We will be inviting them next week to brief the Senate on the state of investigations.”