Nigerian senator, protesters 'steal' House mace

Suspended Nigerian Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, who led a mob to the National Assembly to snatch the mace during plenary, has been arrested.

The mace is the symbol of authority of the Senate.

SUSPENDED

Mr Omo-Agege was arrested at about 2pm local time Wednesday outside the National Assembly building.

He was suspended last week for taking the Senate to court.

Mr Omo-Agege had been angered by the Senate committee on ethics summoning him to answer questions over his remarks.

He, shortly after the first consideration of the bill to amend the electoral act and change the election sequence, told the Press that the action of the Senate was targeted at President Muhammadu Buhari.

Senate spokesman Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi said the plenary resumed after coming out of an executive session where the earlier incident of forceful removal of the mace was deliberated upon.

“The session is holding with the mace, the official symbol of authority, firmly in place, and Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, is presiding.

“The Senate also decided that it will get to the roots of this sad assault on democracy and an obvious act of treason which the seizure of the mace by some armed hoodlums represents,’’ he said.

The Senate had directed the Inspector General of Police Idris Kpotum Ibrahim and the Director General of the State Security Services Lawan Daura to recover the stolen mace within 24 hours.

Some members of House of Representatives visited the Senate chambers on solidarity.

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) condemned the attack on the Senate and the snatching of the mace.