Thugs invade Ebonyi Assembly, batter, lock out members

Abakaliki—The political crisis in Ebonyi State shifted to the House of Assembly yesterday, leading to invasion of the Assembly complex by more than 300 thugs, who allegedly beat up House leader, Sam Nwali and others, preventing them from entering the chambers.
Those allegedly locked out and assaulted by the thugs include; Deputy Speaker, Blaise Orji, Chief Whip, Kingsley Ikoro and nine others, belonging to a faction of the House.
While the commotion was going on outside the chambers, the faction of the House led b y the Speaker, Hon Chukwuma Nwazunku was sitting within the chambers, where they reversed the sacking of some Assembly Staff by the state government, reiterating their objection to N15 billion bond applied for by the state government (which they had earlier approved before the crisis started), and extended the suspension on two lawmakers- Kingsley Ikoeo and Oliver Nwachukwu.
State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Maigari Dikko, who arrived the scene of the commotion with reinforcement of policemen, ordered the arrest over 100 of the hoodlums, and whisked them away in hilux vans to the state police command.
Reacting to the development, two of the lawmakers locked outside, Eni Uduma and the Deputy Speaker, Orji, alleged that their faction, who arrived the Assembly complex were frisked by policemen at the entrance gate before being allowed into the premises but on getting to the complex, another set of policemen prevented them from entering the chambers.
They alleged that it was at that point that the thugs descended on.
The Speaker, Nwazunku, Frank Onwe and Odefa Obasi Odefa, denied that the other lawmakers were not invited for the sitting and that they were blocked by thugs.