BEVERLY HILLS, August 02, (THEWILL) – Suspected thugs invaded the Kogi State House of Assemblyon Tuesday, attacked lawmakers and stripped a member, ElderFridayMakama, representing Igalamala/Odolu, naked.
No sooner had the lawmakers started the day’s plenary than thugs numbering over 100 arrived in three Hilux vans and rushed into the chamber and started beating members while the security men attached to the House watched helplessly as members were thoroughly molested.
Makama, who was billed to formally resumeon Tuesdayafter the court declared his six months suspension void was severely beaten and stripped naked as the thugs were also seen filming the beating.
Makama was suspended in February for six months by the House for taking the Assembly to court for giving extra-spending approval to Governor Yaya Bello when the workers were being owed salaries.
He, however, approached the state high court to challenge his suspension and the Court declared his suspension null and void and ordered the leadership of the House to reinstate the lawmaker.
Makama, who was in the assembly for the first time after he was suspended, was the major target of the attackers who are alleged to be supporters of the governor and the leadership of the House.
The Speaker, Imam Umar Ahmed and other lawmakers including their security aides took to their heels to escape being beaten by the rampaging thugs as some of them scaled the windows of the assembly while journalists watching proceedings from the gallery also scampered to safety.
Speaking on the development, the Speaker expressed shock over the invasion, describing it as an act of hooliganism, which he noted, had no place in politics declaring that the Assembly would set up its own investigative panel to unravel the identities of the people behind the invasion.
Meanwhile, the state governor has condemned the invasion of the assembly saying his administration would not condone any act of thuggery and that anyone found to have been involved in the invasion would be made to face the full weight of the law.
Speaking through his Director General, Media and Publicity, Kingsley Fanwo, the Governor ordered his Security Adviser, Commander Jerry Omodara (retd.), to liaise with security operatives to ensure that perpetrators were brought to book.
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