By Baron Ike
The police on Wednesday arrested suspended senator, Ovie Omo-Agege, at the National Assembly premises.
Omo-Agege was whisked away in a black hilux van at about 1:54 p.m. after he was suspect6ed to have masterminded the invasion of the Senate by hoodlums who allegedly stole the Mace.
The Senate mace was allegedly stolen hours earlier.
Senate spokesperson, Sabi Abdullahi, accused the senator of leading hoodlums to the Senate chamber to seize the mace.
Omo-Agege after the incident returned to the Senate chamber where he attended the plenary.
The police at the Federal Capital Territory were called in and they promptly arrested the senator from Delta State.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the invasion and theft of the mace.
A statement signed by Bollaji Abdullahi, the APC spokesman, said: “The APC hereby condemns this action and views it as an attack on our democracy and a desecration of the hallowed institution of the National Assembly.
“We therefore call on security agencies to take all necessary actions to recover the stolen mace and ensure that the perpetrators and their sponsors are brought to justice.”
Under arrest
Meanwhile, the National Assembly has also given the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris and Director General of the Department of State Security, Lawal Daura, 24 hours within which to recover the Mace.
The lawmakers gave the order shortly after unidentified hoodlums invaded the Senate Chambers and disrupted the ongoing proceedings before carting away the Mace.
Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the plenary said the thugs had attempted to kidnap two Senators but that the Senators refused to be intimidated.
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yusuf Lasun, described the act as an attempt to undermine the nation’s democracy.