Mace Theft: Don’t Arrest Senator Agege – Court Tells Police, DSS

A Federal Capital Territory High Court has issued an order restraining the Nigeria Police and State Security Services, SSS from arresting Senator Ovie Omo-Agege.

This came after allegations that the Senator led the hoodlums who invaded the Senate chambers on Wednesday and carted away the mace.

The Police had based on the accusation, arrested and briefly detained the Senator but he was later released. However, Mr Omo-Agege’s lawyers approached the court on Thursday seeking an interim injunction against further arrest or detention of the senator.

Senator Omo Agege’s team of lawyers led by Aliyu Umar, a Senior Avocate of Nigeria, asked for court’s protection for the embattled senator pending determination of a fundamental human rights case brought against the respondents.

The judge, Ishaq Bello granted the four-point prayers of the Senator and adjourned the matter to May 6.

The case is also reassigned to Court 30 for hearing.

Mr. Omo-Agege was suspended from the Senate on April 12 over his allegations that a bill for reordering of election sequence was targeted at President Muhammadu Buhari.

The senator later apologized to his colleagues after the Senate had directed its Ethics & Privileges Committee to investigate the matter.

The committee eventually recommended Mr Omo-Agege’s suspension. However, on Wednesday, the suspended Senator resurfaced at the National Assembly, accompanied by some individuals who proceeded to take away the mace in a commando style.

Senate’s spokesperson, Abdullahi Sabi, later accused Mr. Omo-Agege of leading the unknown persons who broke into the Senate’s session and carted away its mace.

But in a statement Wednesday evening, the senator denied the allegation. He said he was at the National Assembly to resume sittings “based on legal advice and his understanding of the current position of the law.”