Three members of the House of Representatives reinstated by an Abuja Federal High Court were arrested on Monday and handed over to the police by the Sergeant-at-Arms to the National Assembly, Col. Emeka Okere (retd).



However, the legislators, Mr. Dino Melaye, Mr. Solomon Awhinawhin and Mr. Bitrus Kaze, were released shortly after they made statements at the Federal Capital Territory Police Command.



Since their reinstatement by a Federal High court in Abuja last week, the House has consistently prevented the lawmakers from entering the National Assembly on the grounds that it has appealed the judgment and filed a stay of execution.



THE PUNCH learnt that Okere and the Clerk to the House, Mr. Sani Omolori, had accused the three legislators of ‘breaching protocol’ by coming to the National Assembly on Monday (yesterday).



It was also learnt that Omolori wrote a separate petition last week alleging that Melaye and Awhinawhin “assaulted a sergeant-at-arms and a policeman” as both lawmakers entered the chambers of the House on December 8.



But the policeman and the sergeant-at-arms said to have been assaulted reportedly denied being attacked by the lawmakers.



Melaye and Awhinawhin had beaten the security network at the National Assembly to enter the chambers on Wednesday last week in a bid to enforce the court judgment.



Investigations by our correspondent revealed that Melaye, Awhinawhin and Kaze entered the National Assembly again on Monday unnoticed by security personnel.



They were said to have entered the New Building, a portion of the complex where the offices of some legislators are located.



On hearing of the development, policemen and operatives of the State Security Service trailed them to the area and invited them to Okere’s office.



Led by Okere, the three legislators headed to Okere’s office around 11.58am, where they met behind closed doors for over one hour.



The Director of the SSS Unit at the National Assembly, Mr. Abdulrahman Mohammed, was also seen making his way into Okere’s office for the meeting.



At the end of the parley, the lawmakers refused to grant a press interview.



“No, no; I won’t speak,” Melaye said, and walked past the journalists accompanied by Awhinawhin and Kaze.



A source privy to the deliberations claimed that the lawmakers were asked to make a commitment not to speak with journalists after the meeting.



The lawmakers were allegedly told at the meeting that they breached protocol by coming to the National Assembly in spite of the fact that the House forbade their entry.



“The legislators were directed to report to the FCT Police Command to respond to a petition on the breach of protocol and also to address the issue of assault on security personnel on Wednesday last week,” the source added.



When contacted later, Melaye declined to speak on the details of what transpired in Okere’s office, but he confirmed that he reported to the FCT Police Command.



He said he was there in company with Awhinawhin, Kaze and a female member of the House, Ms. Doris Uboh, who was also reinstated by the court.



“I told them that they could not arrest us because we didn’t know what offence we committed.



“They asked us to make a statement; those they claimed we assaulted came out to deny,” he stated.



Melaye also claimed to have been “under House arrest since Thursday last week, with policemen guarding my house.”



Our correspondent called Okere on his mobile telephone four times to get his comments but he did not pick his calls.



A text message sent to him about 3.10pm was not replied.



The spokesman of the FCT Police Command, Mr. Jimoh Moshood, told THE PUNCH that he could not explain why the legislators visited the command earlier in the day.


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20101214404131

playing to the gallery!

Melaye and his group cannot be stopped. it's a pity that the seargent-at-arms is such a bullish idiotic security man. No wonder the security in the national assembly is so porous that you can by suya in the chambers

A text message sent to him about 3.10pm was not replied.

hehehe, lemme laugh at this first. hehe.

@post

But the [b]policeman [/b]and the sergeant-at-arms said to have been assaulted reportedly denied being attacked by the lawmakers.

eh yah.
Anywaz. . . .