Police take over Cross Rivers House of Assembly complex in calabar
Police take over Cross River House of Assembly complex
[From ANIEKAN ANIEKAN, Calabar]
Cross River State House Of Assembly complex has been sealed, early this morning by scores of heavily armed, combined detachment of security operatives.
Security forces blocked the entrance to the assembly located along Hope Waddell Avenue in Calabar.
The armed policemen restricted any form of movement in and out of the state Assembly quarters, no house member(s) are on sit while no staff is allowed inside.
The security personnel comprising of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corp, Mobile Policeman, Anti-Kidnapping and Cultism Squad among others are seen in and outside the assembly.
Confirming the situation, the state Police Public Relations Officer PPRO,DSP Irene Ugbo, said the essence of the barricade, is to secure the area and forestall breakdown of law and order.
“Nothing is happening, we are just protecting government’s property. We are doing that in respect of the pronouncement of the Abuja Federal High Court yesterday.
“So in order to stabilize the area, some people in a situation like this will agree while some will disagree, and some miscreants may want to invade the place, so we are just ensuring law and order, to stabilize the place, that’s all,” she said.
It would be recalled that on Monday, the Federal High Court, sitting Abuja, Monday, declared the seats of 20 lawmakers from Cross River vacant over their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Congress (APC).
Justice Taiwo Taiwo, in a judgment, dismissed the defence argument that the PDP (plaintiff) had no legal rights to institute the case.
Justice Taiwo ruled that the argument of the lawmakers that there was rancour in the PDP which necessitated their defection to APC was a ploy to mislead the court.
The judge, who granted all the reliefs sought by the PDP, held that it was disheartening that politicians in the country treat citizens as if they do not matter once they get into office.
According to him, we cannot continue in sin and expect grace to abound.
Two House of Representatives members and 18 Cross River House of Assembly were affected by the judgment.
The ruling APC says it has filed for stay of execution of the judgment, while they had proceeded to the Appeal Court.
