The legislators’ aides said the move was aimed at paving way for the inauguration of Samuel Melaye, younger brother to Senator Dino Melaye, who heads a faction of the union. In a statement by the Public Relations Officer, Yusuf Bamidele, the aides insisted that the continued use of the police to harass and intimidate elected leadership of their association could result in a breakdown of law and order in the National Assembly. The statement read: “We are reliably informed that a serving Senator has influenced the Police to re-arrest the duly elected Chairman of the National Assembly Legislative Aides Forum, Darlington Udeh, with effect from Monday April 23, for the purpose of arraignment on spurious allegations yet to be investigated. “It is the plan to keep him indefinitely in detention to pave way for the inauguration of an illegal contraption, led by Samuel Melaye, a younger brother to Senator Dino Melaye, who chairs the Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory, notwithstanding the fact that the duly elected executive committee of NASSLAF has since petitioned the Inspector-General of Police alleging the harassment and intimidation. “What this portends is gradual drive towards a total breakdown of law and order in the National Assembly should they go on with their threat.” The group alleged that the plot, allegedly orchestrated by an unnamed serving senator and one C. J. Osman, Secretary, Corporate Services, National Assembly, was intended to ensure Darlington Udeh’s indefinite detention by the police. The Divisional Police Officer of National Assembly, Nancy Ajaponna, in a letter dated May 5, had alleged a breach of peace and public disturbance involving Mr. Darlington Udeh, the newly-elected Chairman of NASSLAF. Ajaponna, who copied the Commissioner of Police and Area Commander of the Police FCT Command, had requested Udeh to report to the Divisional Crime Officer, National Assembly Division office on Monday, May 9 at 1a.m. The Udeh-led executive committee, however, honoured the invitation by the Police Division of the National Assembly last Monday.]]>