Emotions were as expected charged at the House of Representatives Tuesday as they considered a motion seeking rein in the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Joseph Mbu, for directing his men to retaliate any acts of violence on then with greater one.
Both presentation and the arguments over the motion were marked by partisan divide.
A member of the House, Ali Madaki, in a motion on the floor urged the House to direct the Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, to prevent Mbu from playing any role during the general elections.
Specifically, Mbu had allegedly issued a threat, and directed his men at the Ogun State Police Command Headquarters, that for every policeman killed during the March and April general elections, 20 civilians should be killed in retaliation.
According to reports, Mbu explained that since policemen are also human beings, they should be ready to take revenge on any violent group(s) that might attack them or other innocent citizens.
“If one of my men is killed, I shall kill 20 of them, but don’t shoot first. If they shoot you, shoot back in self-defence. Anybody who fires you, fire him back in self-defence.
“If hoodlums or touts decide to be lawless, carrying knives, carrying illegal firearms and shooting at my policemen, if they shoot at my policemen and they are a hundred or 200, my policemen will not be looking at them. They will reply back in self-defence,” Mbu was quoted to have said in the alleged directive to his men, justifying the threat on the ground that his personnel are also human being.
Madaki, of All Progressives Congress (APC), who considered the statement credited to an officer of Mbu’s status as unbefitting, was however challenged by another member, Linus Okorie of Peoples Democratic Party.
The two parties are major rivals in the coming elections. While APC does not want Mbu in the zone his currently supervising, the PDP is believed to have caused the posting of Mbu to checkmate rigging in the politically sensitive Lagos and its environ.
Okorie had interjected on point of order to the effect that the motion before the House was judgmental, and had breached the constitutional rights to fair hearing for Mbu, who is currently the AIG in charge of Zone 2.
Arguments both for and against the two opposing members momentarily stalled the proceedings of the House, until the Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha, who presided advised the sponsor of the motion, Madaki, to amend the prayers to the effect that the relevant committee of the House be mandated to investigate the allegations, and report back to the House, a suggestion the lawmaker conceded to before the motion was adopted.
Madaki had in the motion he titled; “Violation of the constitution and disrespect to the Rule of Law by Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Mbu Joseph Mbu” wanted the police authorities to take other disciplinary measures against the AIG.
Similarly, reports indicate the lawmakers came close to a brawl on the floor of the House when an aggrieved member, Gerald Alphonsus Irona (PDP Imo), moved to attack the Majority Leader, Mulikat Akande-Adeola (PDP Oyo) over alleged neglect.
The development temporally stalled proceedings and forced an abrupt executive session where, it was gathered, members discussed the matter during the meeting which lasted for one hour.
At first it could not be established what had transpired between the duo, but trouble started when Irona was sighted moving menacingly to accost Akande-Adeola at her allotted seat before he was prevented by the Deputy Leader, Leo Ogor, and other members intervened to avert a fisticuff.
Fight now averted, a visibly frightened Akande-Adeola was sighted as she left her seat and was seen walking to meet with the presiding officer, Emeka Ihedioha, at his post where they both conferred in hush tones.
While the drama played out, Irona was heard threatening at the top of his voice to embarrass the Akande-Adeola, just as some members, including Ogor and the Majority Whip, Ishaka Bawa who formed a circle around him, were seen pacifying the aggrieved lawmaker.
Irona, it was learnt, had gone to accuse the Akande-Adeola at the commencement of session of failing to extend to him the several invitations meant for PDP caucus members in the House.
The development, it was gathered, prompted the aggrieved lawmaker to confront Akande-Adeola, saying his non-invitation was a deliberate action to scheme him out of the party affai
