Investigations into the invasion of the Senate and theft of its mace by unknown persons, may last for a period of ten years, a Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abu Sani, has said.
He spoke amid curious revelations that an identity card of a Kogi State Government House staff was found in the vehicle used by the alleged Mace thieves.
It was learnt that the suspects In Police custody claim they were aides to a Senator being investigated, denying that they stole the Mace.
But at the Senate, Abu Sani, who is the Commissioner of Police (CP) in charge of the monitoring unit in the Office of the Inspector General of Police , (IGP) Ibrahim Idris made his submission Tuesday while appearing before the National Assembly Ad- Hoc Committee on the invasion.
The CP’s submission to that effect was triggered by remarks made by the Co- Chairman of the Committee, Hon Betty Apiafi , that Police was foot-dragging on the investigation.
Apiafi in her remarks said: ” Police investigation on the national embarrassment as far as we are concerned is very slow and how long would it take? Sani responded, “it could take 10 years”.
Angered by the response, the co- chairman of the committee angrily fired back saying “why not 30 years?”
According to her, the investigation being carried out by the Police on an invasion where people involved were captured by Close Circuit Television ( CCTV) and arrested by National Assembly division of the Police , is not impressive because those involved should have been charged to court by now .
But the CP interjected her by saying “that is your personal opinion, as far as the Police is concerned, investigation into criminal matters has no time limit, more so, when the invader who actually carried the Mace is still at large .
“Our focus for now is to get to the root of the matter by getting the real snatcher of the Mace and not just the other accomplices who have all denied the act in their statements ”
But the CP was further taken to task by the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah ( APC Kebbi South), who said Police was not pushful enough in the investigation, which according to him, clearly shows that something is wrong.
“It may not be wrong for one to believe the theory of internal conspiracy on the matter that the Police and other security agencies allowed the April 18, 2018 invasion of the Senate to happen just to embarrass the Senate and by extension, the National Assembly.
“Your slow space of investigation on the invasion is not in tandem with provisions of Section 4 of the Police Act and Section 7 of the Investigation Act and we are not impressed at all”, he said .
The committee directed the CP to bring before it Wednesday, the officer handling the investigation of suspects in the custody of FCT Police Command .
Earlier in his appearance before the Committee, Senator Ovie Omo- Agege , believed to have allegedly facilitated the invasion, told the committee that he was already in court over the matter and it would amount to subjudice for him to entertain any question on it .
Omo- Agege in the suit filed on Monday in the Federal High Court, Abuja division, sued the Senate , Senate President Bukola Saraki, Senator Bala Ibn Na’ Allah and other members of the committee, the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Attorney General of the Federation, Inspector General of Police and Director of State Security Service .
The Senator in the suit sought for three separate interlocutory injunctions restraining the the 7 defendants from investigating him on the matter pending the determination of the suit.
The first of such orders is the one seeking interlocutory injunction restraining the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants, their servants, agents, officers or privies or otherwise howsoever from further inquiring into investigating, hearing or determining any issue whatsoever arising from or pertaining to or in consequence of the invasion of the Senate and the theft of its Mace by unknown persons or recommending the imposition of any sanction or penalty on the plaintiff in connection with or arising from or pertaining to the invasion of the Senate and the theft of its Mace by unknown persons, pending the hearing and determination of the Suit.
The second is the one restraining the 1st 4th Defendants, their servants, officers, agents, Sergeant at Arms or otherwise howsoever from stopping or interfering with the payment of the plaintiffs salaries, allowances or any monies due to the Plaintiff as a Senator or preventing or obstructing the Plaintiff from gaining access into and out of his office or the precinct or Chambers of the Senate or the National Assembly or from taking his seat in the Senate Chambers and participating fully without let or hindrance in all the activities of the Senate and the National Assembly pending the hearing and determination of the Suit.
The third is the one directing directing the 5th, 6th and 7th Defendants their officers, servants and agents or otherwise howsoever to enforce and ensure the enforcement of full compliance with the orders made in this case, particularly, the orders relating to the Plaintiffs unfettered access into his office, the precinct and the Chambers of the Senate and the National Assembly and taking his seat in the Senate Chambers and participating fully Without let or hindrance in all the activities of the Senate and the National Assembly pending the hearing and determination of the Suit.
On his part, Senator Ali Ndume, who was alleged to have instructed Sergeant-at Arms officers not to protect the Senate Mace on that day said that he never gave such instruction since he was not in a position to do so.
The CP’s submission to that effect was triggered by remarks made by the Co- Chairman of the Committee, Hon Betty Apiafi , that Police was foot-dragging on the investigation.
Apiafi in her remarks said: ” Police investigation on the national embarrassment as far as we are concerned is very slow and how long would it take? Sani responded, “it could take 10 years”.
Angered by the response, the co- chairman of the committee angrily fired back saying “why not 30 years?”
According to her, the investigation being carried out by the Police on an invasion where people involved were captured by Close Circuit Television ( CCTV) and arrested by National Assembly division of the Police , is not impressive because those involved should have been charged to court by now .
But the CP interjected her by saying “that is your personal opinion, as far as the Police is concerned, investigation into criminal matters has no time limit, more so, when the invader who actually carried the Mace is still at large .
“Our focus for now is to get to the root of the matter by getting the real snatcher of the Mace and not just the other accomplices who have all denied the act in their statements ”
But the CP was further taken to task by the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah ( APC Kebbi South), who said Police was not pushful enough in the investigation, which according to him, clearly shows that something is wrong.
“It may not be wrong for one to believe the theory of internal conspiracy on the matter that the Police and other security agencies allowed the April 18, 2018 invasion of the Senate to happen just to embarrass the Senate and by extension, the National Assembly.
“Your slow space of investigation on the invasion is not in tandem with provisions of Section 4 of the Police Act and Section 7 of the Investigation Act and we are not impressed at all”, he said .
The committee directed the CP to bring before it Wednesday, the officer handling the investigation of suspects in the custody of FCT Police Command .
Earlier in his appearance before the Committee, Senator Ovie Omo- Agege , believed to have allegedly facilitated the invasion, told the committee that he was already in court over the matter and it would amount to subjudice for him to entertain any question on it .
Omo- Agege in the suit filed on Monday in the Federal High Court, Abuja division, sued the Senate , Senate President Bukola Saraki, Senator Bala Ibn Na’ Allah and other members of the committee, the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Attorney General of the Federation, Inspector General of Police and Director of State Security Service .
The Senator in the suit sought for three separate interlocutory injunctions restraining the the 7 defendants from investigating him on the matter pending the determination of the suit.
The first of such orders is the one seeking interlocutory injunction restraining the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants, their servants, agents, officers or privies or otherwise howsoever from further inquiring into investigating, hearing or determining any issue whatsoever arising from or pertaining to or in consequence of the invasion of the Senate and the theft of its Mace by unknown persons or recommending the imposition of any sanction or penalty on the plaintiff in connection with or arising from or pertaining to the invasion of the Senate and the theft of its Mace by unknown persons, pending the hearing and determination of the Suit.
The second is the one restraining the 1st 4th Defendants, their servants, officers, agents, Sergeant at Arms or otherwise howsoever from stopping or interfering with the payment of the plaintiffs salaries, allowances or any monies due to the Plaintiff as a Senator or preventing or obstructing the Plaintiff from gaining access into and out of his office or the precinct or Chambers of the Senate or the National Assembly or from taking his seat in the Senate Chambers and participating fully without let or hindrance in all the activities of the Senate and the National Assembly pending the hearing and determination of the Suit.
The third is the one directing directing the 5th, 6th and 7th Defendants their officers, servants and agents or otherwise howsoever to enforce and ensure the enforcement of full compliance with the orders made in this case, particularly, the orders relating to the Plaintiffs unfettered access into his office, the precinct and the Chambers of the Senate and the National Assembly and taking his seat in the Senate Chambers and participating fully Without let or hindrance in all the activities of the Senate and the National Assembly pending the hearing and determination of the Suit.
On his part, Senator Ali Ndume, who was alleged to have instructed Sergeant-at Arms officers not to protect the Senate Mace on that day said that he never gave such instruction since he was not in a position to do so.