Attack: Kogi assembly adjourns plenary indefinitely

Ahmed Imam, by the powers conferred on him under Rule 4(2) of the Standing Rules of the House, has directed that the sitting of the house earlier disrupted on Tuesday, the 1st day of August 2017 be now adjourned sine die (indefinitely) pending improvement in situation in the house.

“A date will be announced for the house to reconvene. Any inconveniences caused by this announcement is highly regretted please,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, a civil right activist and Executive Director, Centre for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution, Mr Idris Miliki, has condemned the invasion of the state assembly and called on relevant authorities to carry out a thorough investigation into the incident.

“We call on the state government, under the leadership of Alhaji Yahaya Bello not to pretend that all is well in Kogi State and must act decisively as the father of the state to nip in the bud, this kind of ugly incidence. Enough is enough; Kogi State cannot afford to continue to live in crisis,” Miliki said.

He called on members of Kogi State House of Assembly to unite and continue performing their constitutional duties and roles, and to maintain the separation of powers as conferred on them by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

There was pandemonium at the assembly when thugs reportedly descended on the member representing Igalamela/Odolu constituency, Friday Sani aka Makama, who was just resuming sitting after being reinstated by a state High Court.

The legislators narrowly escaped death when the thugs disrupted the house sitting and unleashed mayhem.

The hoodlums, after gaining entrance to the assembly premises, tried to force their way through the speaker’s entrance but were prevented by his orderlies. They later went to the gallery from where they broke chairs and used them as weapons in attacking the lawmakers.