Anambra lawmaker-elect bundled from assembly

Armed men believed to be operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) stormed the Anambra State House of Assembly in Awka on Thursday in an attempt to whisk away the lawmaker-elect for Nnewi North constituency, Mr. Onyekachukwu Ike.

The situation, as our correspondent gathered, caused pandemonium at the legislative complex for over an hour.

An eyewitness said, “There was panic at the Anambra State House of Assembly as four armed men suspected to be operatives of the Directorate of Security Services (DSS) tried to whisk away member-elect for Nnewi North constituency, Mr. Onyekachukwu Ike.

“The armed men drove into the Assembly complex in three vehicles and grabbed the member-elect after he participated in a valedictory Thanksgiving service for the seventh Assembly.

“They bundled the member-elect into their vehicle and were trying to drive out of the Assembly complex when security personnel quickly blocked and locked the exit gate of the chamber.

Speaking, the Acting Clerk of the Assembly, Mrs. Esther Aneto, and other senior staff said the suspected DSS operatives did not inform them or even the police personnel before trying to whisk away the lawmaker-elect.

A source said, “One of the suspected DSS operatives explained that they had a court order to arrest the member-elect for Nnewi North constituency.

“It took the intervention of the Speaker, Dr. Uche Okafor, and the Deputy Governor, Dr. Onyeka Ibezim, who came to represent the governor at the valedictory session of the seventh Assembly, before the member-elect was released.”

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident, saying the matter had been resolved.

He said, “No cause for alarm; it has been resolved. I think it was DSS that was on that mission, but I think everything has been resolved. I was told that the deputy governor and speaker of the house intervened. So, everything was resolved, but I don’t know the circumstances surrounding serving his (Ike’s) invitation.

“Since that place is an institution, with the intervention of the police there and the deputy governor, everything was resolved.”

The Razor