Senator Ali Ndume instructed men of the Sergeant-at-Arm
assigned for Chamber Security and protection of the Senate’s mace
not to touch it when the thugs broke into the Upper Legislative
Chamber, Head of the Sergeant-at-Arm at the National Assembly,
Brighton Danwalex, has said.
This was even as the Divisional Police Officer in the National
Assembly, CSP Zulu-Gambari Abdul, alleged that there was internal
conspiracy leading to the invasion and removal of the mace from the
chambers by thugs on April 18.
Danwalex, while appearing before the National Assembly Joint
Committee investigating the invasion, disclosed that the mace would
have been secured by his men stationed in the Chamber but for the
intervention of Senator Ndume who instructed that it be left
alone.
“One of the Sergeant-at-Arm assigned to protect the mace in the
Chamber wrote in his report during our investigation that he gave
signal to his colleague who was standing close to mace to remove it
and take it inside but Ndume said they should not touch it,”
Danwalex alleged before the panel.
To buttress his position, Danwalex submitted a copy of the
report by one of his officers saying that it was wrong for his men
to have taken orders from Ndume, to whom they were not
answerable.
“Security men are having challenges with some legislators
because they don’t want to follow checks. Some will come with five
vehicles and ask the security to allow them to pass,” he added.
He also noted that security men were overpowered due to lack of
nonfunctional security gadgets to enhance operational capacity.
“There is no functional walkie-talkie; we would have alerted all
the exit points.
“The CCTV is not functional and there is only one operational
patrol vehicle and the entrance into the white house requires
biometric doors,’’ he added.
On his part, the police divisional head, CSP Zulu-Gambari
alleged that “what happened at the National Assembly was an act of
internal conspiracy among some security agencies and some of the
lawmakers”.
“There should be a synergy between security agencies and the
lawmakers but in this case, the attack came from the roof as the
senators are not helping security matters.
“On April 16, there was an earlier hint that a group planned to
invade the National Assembly and disrupt activities, which called
for a build-up of security with two units of mobile police
mobilized to the complex.
“However on April 18, at about 10; 11 am, my attention was drawn
to a group protesting at the gate, while I moved to address the
group I was informed that some people were running away with the
mace.
“I signalled all the entry points that nobody drives in or out
but three men approached me identifying themselves as security
operatives and requested to be allowed to go.
“The strain of blood on their clothes made me become suspicious
and I ordered they be arrested.
In all six people were arrested same day and handed over to the
force headquarters alongside charms recovered from them.
“In addition an unmarked Prado jeep and a Toyota Hilux were
impounded and they are with the police.
“It was later that I observed that the protest was a
diversionary attention to move me out and that the protesters were
same group with those that attacked,” Gambari said.
He said there was no communication whatsoever from the
Sergeant-at-Arm during the invasion by the thugs.
The Chairman of the Committee, Sen. Bala Na’Allah requested the
Police to furnish it with a copy of station diary where entry of
the crime was made.
Others are copy of crime routine diary, pictures of those
arrested and the transfer register explaining where the invaders
were transferred to.
On her part, the Co-Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Betty
Apiafi, blamed the invasion on negligence on the part of the
Sergeant-at-Arm.
She accused them of failing to raise an alarm, having observed
something unusual.
“The lack of the incident statement shows lack of
professionalism and seriousness,” she said.
Similarly, Sen. Shehu Sani accused the security operatives in
the complex of regularly collecting money to allow unauthorised
persons into the premises.
“People troop in here by paying money to security. Supposing it
was terrorists, and had it been they came in to kill someone, they
would have succeeded. How can five thugs succeed if there was no
collusion?
“Security men here control crowd who come to protest but melted
away that day and the two Sergeant-at-Arm who normally protect the
mace were not seen,” Sani lamented.
The probe continues.
Senator Ali Ndume instructed men of the Sergeant-at-Arm
assigned for Chamber Security and protection of the Senate’s mace
not to touch it when the thugs broke into the Upper Legislative
Chamber, Head of the Sergeant-at-Arm at the National Assembly,
Brighton Danwalex, has said.
This was even as the Divisional Police Officer in the National
Assembly, CSP Zulu-Gambari Abdul, alleged that there was internal
conspiracy leading to the invasion and removal of the mace from the
chambers by thugs on April 18.
Danwalex, while appearing before the National Assembly Joint
Committee investigating the invasion, disclosed that the mace would
have been secured by his men stationed in the Chamber but for the
intervention of Senator Ndume who instructed that it be left
alone.
“One of the Sergeant-at-Arm assigned to protect the mace in the
Chamber wrote in his report during our investigation that he gave
signal to his colleague who was standing close to mace to remove it
and take it inside but Ndume said they should not touch it,”
Danwalex alleged before the panel.
To buttress his position, Danwalex submitted a copy of the
report by one of his officers saying that it was wrong for his men
to have taken orders from Ndume, to whom they were not
answerable.
“Security men are having challenges with some legislators
because they don’t want to follow checks. Some will come with five
vehicles and ask the security to allow them to pass,” he added.
He also noted that security men were overpowered due to lack of
nonfunctional security gadgets to enhance operational capacity.
“There is no functional walkie-talkie; we would have alerted all
the exit points.
“The CCTV is not functional and there is only one operational
patrol vehicle and the entrance into the white house requires
biometric doors,’’ he added.
On his part, the police divisional head, CSP Zulu-Gambari
alleged that “what happened at the National Assembly was an act of
internal conspiracy among some security agencies and some of the
lawmakers”.
“There should be a synergy between security agencies and the
lawmakers but in this case, the attack came from the roof as the
senators are not helping security matters.
“On April 16, there was an earlier hint that a group planned to
invade the National Assembly and disrupt activities, which called
for a build-up of security with two units of mobile police
mobilized to the complex.
“However on April 18, at about 10; 11 am, my attention was drawn
to a group protesting at the gate, while I moved to address the
group I was informed that some people were running away with the
mace.
“I signalled all the entry points that nobody drives in or out
but three men approached me identifying themselves as security
operatives and requested to be allowed to go.
“The strain of blood on their clothes made me become suspicious
and I ordered they be arrested.
In all six people were arrested same day and handed over to the
force headquarters alongside charms recovered from them.
“In addition an unmarked Prado jeep and a Toyota Hilux were
impounded and they are with the police.
“It was later that I observed that the protest was a
diversionary attention to move me out and that the protesters were
same group with those that attacked,” Gambari said.
He said there was no communication whatsoever from the
Sergeant-at-Arm during the invasion by the thugs.
The Chairman of the Committee, Sen. Bala Na’Allah requested the
Police to furnish it with a copy of station diary where entry of
the crime was made.
Others are copy of crime routine diary, pictures of those
arrested and the transfer register explaining where the invaders
were transferred to.
On her part, the Co-Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Betty
Apiafi, blamed the invasion on negligence on the part of the
Sergeant-at-Arm.
She accused them of failing to raise an alarm, having observed
something unusual.
“The lack of the incident statement shows lack of
professionalism and seriousness,” she said.
Similarly, Sen. Shehu Sani accused the security operatives in
the complex of regularly collecting money to allow unauthorised
persons into the premises.
“People troop in here by paying money to security. Supposing it
was terrorists, and had it been they came in to kill someone, they
would have succeeded. How can five thugs succeed if there was no
collusion?
“Security men here control crowd who come to protest but melted
away that day and the two Sergeant-at-Arm who normally protect the
mace were not seen,” Sani lamented.
The probe continues.
Read more https://www.nairalaw.com/senator-ndume-faces-indictment-over-nass-invasion/