Plateau assembly tussle: CP cautions lawmakers to stay away from assembly complex for now

DANIEL DAUDA, Jos

The Commissioner of Police Plateau State Command, CP Bartholomew Onyeka has cautioned lawmakers to desist from making any attempt of trying to gain entry into the State Assembly complex for now until all grey areas were addressed.

CP Onyeka gave the warning Tuesday while speaking to newsmen at the command headquarters in Jos, on happenings over Plateau Assembly.

Plateau Assembly has been engulfed in a leadership tussle wherein both factions (Abok Nuhu Ayuba and Yakubu Sanda) claim to be the authentic speaker of the state’s 9th Assembly.

Our correspondent observed that the State Assembly complex remained under lock and key for almost a week due to the unending leadership crisis.

CP Onyeka acknowledged that the deployment of police personnel at the state legislators’ premises was not targeted at anybody, but to maintain law and order.

The CP also said only a few legislators attended a meeting initially billed for 11th April 2023 at the commands’ headquarters.

In his words, “On the 3rd of April 2023, the Plateau State Police Command, through Social Media got the information that RT. Hon. Abok Ayuba, the former Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly who was impeached on Thursday, October 28, 2021, has got judgment in his favour to be reinstated as the Speaker, of the Plateau State House of Assembly, a development which the Command was not duly served or officially informed as at the time.

“This suggests that on the 3rd of April, 2023 the honourable members had unrestricted and unfettered access to the Plateau State House of Assembly which ordinarily is a clear testimony that the House of Assembly was unsealed before that judgment was passed,” he continued.

“Therefore on the 4th of April 2023, having gotten information that some mischievous persons who, based on intelligence mobilised sufficiently to ensure that they gain unrestricted access by whatever means necessary to the House of Assembly Complex.” 

“I took that decision to ensure that the State House of Assembly is safe and that neither life nor property is lost,” the CP stated.

“My powers as the Commissioner of Police as enshrined in section 214 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and section 4 of the Police Acts 2020 is relevant.” 

CP Onyeka 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.

He assured to unseal the House of Assembly when the threat diminished.