Daily Trust

Mark’s security details teargassed Tambuwal —DPO says

- By Turaki A. Hassan

Police officers attached to Senate President David Mark teargassed House of Representa­tives Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal on November 20, Divisional Police Officer in-charge of National Assembly Mr. James Idachaba has said.

Speaker Tambuwal, other lawmakers and workers were locked out of the parliament building by police officers who invaded the premises.

The speaker and his colleagues, who later gained access to the building, were teargassed by police officers.

The Senate then instituted an investigat­ion few days later after debating a motion on the matter with Senator Ahmed Makarfi (PDP, Kaduna) leading the ad hoc committee.

Mr. Idachaba who appeared before the Senate committee on Monday said the police officers from the Federal Capital Territory Command, were not responsibl­e for hurling canisters of teargas but security details attached to Senate President, David Mark.

However, heads of other security agencies attached to the National Assembly disagreed with Idachaba’s position but the DPO argued that he actually saw Mark’s security detail, through a video recording, perpetrati­ng the act. He did not mention the name of the security detail.

The police had

said that it acted on security reports that the National Assembly would be invaded by thugs on the day when parliament­arians were to consider President Goodluck Jonathan’s extension of emergency rule in the North-east states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.

Idachaba had also told the committee that the instructio­n to close the gates on that day was based on a directive he received from the FCT police command.

The committee has also summoned the FCT Police Commission­er, Wilson Inalegu and the FCT director of Department of State Services, to appear before it on a later date on the security siege the National Assembly.

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