HeadlineBREAKING: Police Commissioner Arrests Speaker, 10 Members.

BREAKING: Police Commissioner Arrests Speaker, 10 Members.

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November 01, (THEWILL) – Plateau State Police Commissioner, Edward Egbuka, on Monday arrested the speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Abok Ayuba, and ten other members of the House.

The arrest is believed to be connected to the ongoing leadership crisis in the state induced by the state governor, Simon Bako Lalong.

The lawmakers were driven out of the Assembly premises in a convoy of security vehicles belonging to the Nigerian police, civil defence, and the state-owned Operation Rainbow, and numbering eight in all and full of security personnel.

This ended a tension-soaked day at the House of Assembly complex which was besieged by menacing youths drumming support for Speaker Abok Ayuba as early as 6am.

The State Police Commissioner, Edward Egbuka,, in a practice viewed as unusual, stayed with the speaker in his Assembly complex office for about six hours before effecting their arrest at 3pm.

The police used teargas and fired into the air to effectively clear out the pro-speaker youths who were keeping vigil at the premises’ main gate.

Thereafter, the arrested members were driven away via the back gate as Egbuka assured them of their safety and safe passage to their ‘homes’.
Meanwhile the main entrance and front office section of the building housing the Assembly Chambers is in shreds as an early morning clash between the forces sympathetic to the speaker clashed with pro-government hoodlums who gained access into the premises through the back gate.

There has been tension in the House since last Thursday when seven members loyal to Governor Lalong, in what has been described as parliamentary travesty, claim that they impeached the former speaker and elected and swore in a new one. The 24-member House needs eight members to form a quorum and two-third, or 16 signatures to impeach the speaker or any other officer of the House. The House has since been divided with fourteen members in full support of the speaker, Abok Ayuba.

There are fears that the arrest and detention of the House members may escalate tension and worsen the public perception of Governor Lalong who is already tumbling in.local opinion polls.

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