Senate to probe ‘false attack’ on leader

The Senate yesterday asked its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions to look into a false story carried by two national dailies (excluding the Daily Trust), that reported that the Senate Leader, Ahmad Lawan (APC, Yobe North), was attacked by his constituents on Friday.

The Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the plenary, gave the committee a week to follow up on the issue.

The committee was asked to collaborate with the Senate Committee on Media.

“This is not the first time that we would be hearing something like this. Two weeks ago, we learnt that Senator Abu Ibrahim was attacked and it turned out to be false. The media should be very responsible in the discharge of their duties, “he said.

Earlier, Senator Lawan denied being barred by his constituents from entering his hometown, Gashua, saying the report was false.

Raising a point of order on the floor, Lawan said he was not in Yobe at the weekend as reported by the two national dailies.

He demanded immediate retraction and apology from the two newspapers, adding that his constituents terribly felt bad about the false report.

“By June 4, I would be 18 years in the National Assembly. My people voted for me in 1999 to represent them at the House. And from then till this moment, my relationship with them has been very cordial; there was never a situation like that,” he said.

He reiterated that he was actually in Daura that same day and thereafter, returned to Abuja alongside his colleagues.