The Plateau State Police Command Tuesday said it sealed the state’s House of Assembly to prevent a breakdown of law and order following a leadership crisis that rocked the parliament.
Two lawmakers, Abok Nuhu and Yakubu Sanda, are claiming the speakership of the assembly.
Abok was impeached as a speaker on October 18, 2021 while Sanda held sway during the period.
Abok last week got a court judgment, which ordered his reinstatement. He insisted on gaining access to the premises to preside over plenary despite the presence of policemen.
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Addressing a press conference yesterday in Jos, the state capital, the Commissioner of Police, Bartholomew Onyeka, said the police sealed the assembly following an intel that some persons had mobilised thugs from different local government areas of the state to cause mayhem.
He said the police took the decision to ensure that the state’s House of Assembly is safe and that neither life nor property is lost.
“It will be a negligence and dereliction of duty on my part as the CP here on the Plateau if, having gotten the above intelligence, I fail to do that for which I’m here to do,” he said.
He further said the deployment of police personnel to the assembly was not targeted at any group or persons but merely a preventive measure to maintain peace, protect lives and property and to prevent the breakdown of law and order.
He said the police, being a party in the suit, filed a stay of execution on the same 3rd of April 2023, which was equally served on the parties concerned.
“From that period, a series of meetings have been held with the view toward ensuring that the Plateau State House of Assembly complex is secured adequately but the two parties have refused to settle their differences. For that reason, the House remains closed until all disputing issues are settled,” he said.
The police commissioner urged all law-abiding citizens of Plateau State to go about their lawful businesses and the warring parties to seek peaceful ways of settling their differences in accordance with the rule of law.
