NASS Security: Sergeant-at-Arms now in charge

ABUJA —IN a bid to forestall what happened on November 20 when heavily armed policemen invaded the National Assembly, the Chief Sergeant-at-Arms yesterday deployed all his men to man all entry points into the complex.

Vanguard reliably gathered that the policemen attached to the massive complex who originally man such points were deployed to only the outer gate.

This became necessary considering the fact that parliaments all over the world have Sergeant-at-Arms in charge of security.

It was also revealed that henceforth the police under whatever guise can no longer barricade the National Assembly.

Subsidy Probe: Deputy Speaker House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha returning to his office after presiding over Investigation on Subsidy regime’s report at National Assembly, Abuja yesterday. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

The source also noted that ”the role of the police is supposed to be supplementary and it is not mandatory but what happened that day was a complete negation of the office of the Sergeant-at-Arms.
“We will not allow such a thing to happen in this parliament again, it was an abuse and a slap on us.”
The Chief Sergeant-at-Arms was seen deploying his men at about 10.30 am to the five entry points that were barricaded by the police and hooded men on November 20.

In all these points, no policeman was seen except at the outer gate where about 15 policemen stood guard.

On November 19, before the police invasion of NASS, hooded men in black uniforms and anti-riot policemen padlocked the five entry points into NASS.

The following day the Speaker of the House of. Representatives, Hon Aminu Tambuwal, and his fellow lawmakers were teargassed and properly humbled by the police who barricaded the main entry point into the complex.

The lawmakers had convened an emergency session to discuss the extension of state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states before the police unleashed terror on the lawmakers who had to scale through the fence to gain entry into the complex.

The deployment of sergeant-at-arms to man all the entry points may not be unconnected with what transpired on November 20.

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