The lawmaker representing the Delta Central Senatorial District, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, has dragged the National Assembly to court over its investigation into the invasion and mace snatching at the Senate chamber on April 18, 2018. The senator made this known to our correspondent on Monday. He said the Clerk to the National Assembly, Mohammed Sani-Omolori; President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki; and the Chairman of the joint Senate and House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the attack, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah, had been served with the notice of the originating summons. Others joined in the suit, according to Omo-Agege, are the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris; Director-General, Department of State Services, Lawal Daura; and Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN). The Na’Allah-led committee is expected to grill Senators Ovie Omo-Agege and Ali Ndume on Tuesday (today). The committee had last week invited Omo-Agege and Ndume over their alleged roles in the attack on the Senate. Chairman of the committee, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah, while announcing the summons last Tuesday, had noted that testimonies were given by the various security personnel at the National Assembly Complex before the panel had implicated Omo-Agege and Ndume. On Ndume, he said, “Based on the testimony by the sergeant-at-arms before the committee, you are alleged to have prevented the mace keeper from taking away the mace to safety. The committee has, therefore, deemed it necessary to invite you in order to respond to that allegation.” On Omo-Agege, Na’Allah said, “Based on the testimony of the Divisional Police Officer, the State Security Service and the sergeant-at-arms, you are alleged to have entered the National Assembly accompanied by seven persons who allegedly took the mace of the Senate during a plenary session on April 18, at about 11:30 am. “All those who testified stated that the said people were cleared into the chamber based on your confirmation that they were with you. “The committee, in pursuance to this, has deemed it necessary to formally invite you to respond to these allegations on Wednesday, May 16, at 11:00 am.” It was, however, learnt that the panel shifted the investigative hearing to Tuesday following an extended session held by the Senate last Wednesday for consideration and passage of the 2018 Appropriation Bill. Both chambers of the National Assembly had also skipped plenary last Thursday to allow members of the All Progressives Congress attend to the state congresses held by the party last Saturday. Ndume confirmed receipt of the invitation when contacted by our correspondent last Wednesday and said the sitting had been shifted to Tuesday (today). He, however, declined to comment further. Omo-Agege said he would appear before the panel, although he had taken the legal step to stop the probe. READ ALSO: Pro-chancellor hails FG over release of UNILORIN lecturers’ allowance He said, “Just to intimate you so that you don’t get to know by surprise: we have filed an action. We have gone to court to challenge the authority of the Senate to set up that ad hoc committee and the authority of the ad hoc committee to look into this matter, a matter that is already being investigated by the police and the investigation has yet to be concluded. “If you check Section 215 of the Constitution, the power to investigate crime and prosecute suspects is vested in the Nigeria Police and not in any investigative committee set up by the Senate. The investigative powers of the National Assembly as enshrined in Section 88 of the Constitution is very clear; they are not empowered to investigate a crime but to investigate issues that will enable them to make laws, not to recommend people for sanctioning. For that reason, we have gone to court.” Asked if the suit had been filed, Omo-Agege said, “Yes, we have filed it and we have served the Senate President, the Senate, Clerk to the National Assembly, the Na’Allah committee, the IGP, DG of DSS, the sergeant-at-arms and the AGF.” President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, had inaugurated the ad hoc committee, noting that there were reports that those who attacked the Senate were led by a serving senator. Na’Allah had also noted that all those suspected to have links with the attack would be interrogated. The DPO, National Assembly Division, Mr. Abdul Sulu-Gambari, while appearing before the panel last week, had accused the lawmakers of conspiracy in the attack. The Senate had on April 12, 2018, suspended Omo-Agege for 90 legislative days for dragging the chamber to court over the amendment to the Electoral Act 2010 which seeks to reshuffle the sequence of polls during a general election. Omo-Agege had, however, attended plenary on April 18. The lawmaker’s emergence at the chamber had occurred the same time when suspected thugs invaded the Senate chamber while plenary was ongoing and made away with the mace.]]>

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