DSS ‘raids’ Ekiti assembly, ‘arrests’ 4 lawmakers ~ Welcome to Thepanacea blog

DSS 'raids' Ekiti assembly, 'arrests'
4 lawmakers
Mar 6, 2016 EKITI

Ekiti House of Assembly yesterday accused operatives of
the Department of State Services (DSS) of invading the
complex and making away with four of its members.
Speaker Kola Oluwawole told reporters that "more than 10
DSS men armed to the teeth" stormed the Assembly
complex and shot sporadically into the air causing panic
among legislators and staff.
The Speaker only gave the name of the legislator
representing Efon Constituency, Afolabi Akanni, as "one of
those abducted" but failed to reveal identities of the other
three.
He claimed that the whereabouts of the other three
'missing' legislators remain unknown just as the reasons
for the 'invasion' and 'abduction' were yet to be
ascertained.
But some workers in the Assembly denied knowledge of any
invasion by DSS operatives when they closed by 4pm on
Friday.
The Assembly staff, who craved anonymity, said they did
not receive any news of the invasion or abduction after they
had left office.
The state police spokesman, Alberto Adeyemi, also denied
knowledge of the invasion of the Assembly complex or
abduction of any lawmaker.
Oluwawole, however, described the alleged abduction as a
clandestine plot by "the President Muhammadu Buhari-led
All Progressives Congress (APC) Federal Government to
destabilise Ekiti State using the instrumentality of DSS."
The Speaker alleged: "Yesterday, the House of Assembly
Chamber was invaded by armed men of the DSS.
"Not minding that various committees of the House were
meeting, more than 10 DSS men who were armed to the
teeth invaded the Assembly Complex, shooting sporadically
into the air, thereby causing panic among members and
staff of the House of Assembly, who had to scamper for
safety.
"At the end of the commotion created by this barbaric act,
we discovered that four of our members could not be found.
"It was only this morning that we were able to establish that
Hon Afolabi Akanni, representing Efon Constituency was
abducted and taken to Abuja.
"Whereabouts of three other members is still unknown as
we speak, and reasons for the invasion and abduction of our
members are not known.
"However, we got it on good authority that the script now
being acted by the DSS is part of the APC and President
Buhari's clandestine plot to cripple the Ekiti State
Government by arresting and detaining top functionaries of
the government.
"The plot is to harass, intimidate and embarrass top
officials of the Ayodele Fayose government because of his
critical stance on the Buhari's government.
"We are aware that 18 of our members have been pencilled
down for harassment and the game plan is to harass them
to submission, with a view to coercing them into signing an
already prepared notice of impeachment of the governor and
his deputy.
"However, we wish to inform those orchestrating the
harassment and intimidation of officials of the Ekiti State
Government, especially honourable members of the State
House of Assembly that this is 2016 and not 2006.
"The same tactics used 10 years ago to truncate democracy
in Ekiti State will not work this time. We therefore wish to
tell the APC agents of political instability that this time
around, this House of Assembly will not be available for any
ungodly use."
He added: "Nigeria is not a banana republic that can be
ruled anyhow by anyone and Lawal Daura (from Katsina)
and his men, who are playing exactly the same role played
between 1984 and 1985 by the National Security
Organisation (NSO) under Lawal Rafindadi (from Katsina)
should know that this reign of brute force over constitutional
democracy will fail.
"Therefore, the Abuja based agents of destabilisation should
get it into their heads that we will never be harassed or
intimidated into buying into their sinister agenda."