Pandemonium as armed policemen invade Edo Assembly

About 50 fully armed policemen from the Police Mobile Force unit of the Nigerian Police Friday stormed the premises of the Edo State House of Assembly to stop ongoing renovation work at the Assembly.

The commando-like fashion in which they invaded the Assembly created confusion at the Assembly premises and the entire King's square causing members of the public to besiege the House, to watch the drama of the rampaging policemen who barked orders at workers who were atop the roof, ordering them to come down.

Addressing journalists at the premises of the Assembly, the House Committee Chairman on Information, Youth and Sports, Honourable Kabiru Adjoto, said the policemen who were led by Florence Joseph, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, on arrival, allegedly tear-gassed the Speaker, Honourable Uyi Igbe and threatened to shoot him.

He alleged that workers hired by the Assembly to carry out the renovation work were ordered to lie on the floor and thoroughly beaten by the policemen before they were chased away from the Assembly premises. Similarly, civil servants working at the Assembly were said to have scampered for safety during the ensuing commotion.

Adjoto accused the police of collaborating with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to destabilize Edo State, saying that both the State Commissioner of Police and the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 5, denied knowledge of the presence of the policemen at the Assembly.

“These are riffles they are supposed to take to Sambisa forest to free our girls, they are here intimidating welders and other workers carrying out renovation work.

“As legislators, even if they kill the 15 of us, we are ready to defend our rights. We are going to use the power of the people to defeat the police,” Adjoto said.

He warned that it will be blood if the PDP lawmakers attempt to sit at the Assembly next Monday as they have boasted.

Also addressing journalists at the premises of the Assembly, the impeached and suspended Deputy Speaker of the House, Festus Ebea, described the renovation work as an attempt to prevent the PDP lawmakers from sitting in the Assembly, just as he described the renovation work as a waste of fund. According to him, the Assembly building was re-roofed last year.

When contacted at his office, the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Foluso Adebanjo, said that based on security report, the Command deployed policemen to the Assembly yesterday to stop the renovation work temporarily.

“The temporary stoppage of renovation work is based on security report that supporters of PDP are mobilising to attack the workers and stop the work. APC supporters were also mobilising to counter. I felt the best way was to stop work temporarily to allow peace reign,” he said.

Adebanjo while reacting to threat of bloodshed on Monday, said police would not allow bloodshed or loss of life in the state.