Heinous act of mace snatching
This country has witnessed many ugly firsts over the years but the invasion of the Senate chamber during plenary by thugs on Wednesday last week, April 18, who made away with the mace will rank among the most heinous, most atrocious, most embarrassing, least explicable and least pardonable deeds yet witnessed in our democratic journey. […]
This country has witnessed many ugly firsts over the years but the invasion of the Senate chamber during plenary by thugs on Wednesday last week, April 18, who made away with the mace will rank among the most heinous, most atrocious, most embarrassing, least explicable and least pardonable deeds yet witnessed in our democratic journey. Senator Ovie Omo-Agege of Delta, who is serving a 90-day suspension, led the thugs by passing through a glass door, where they committed the atrocious and well planned act.
The Senate has already described the deed as “an act of treason,” which indeed it was. The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic went so far as to prescribe punishment for anyone who so much as enters and sits in a legislative chamber when he or she is not a member. It did not say anything about the act of someone entering a chamber and running away with the mace because the framers of the Constitution did not believe that anyone could descend so low as to do that.
From all indications, Omo-Agege’s grouse was that his colleagues handed him a 90-day suspension six days earlier. His offence was that he said senators pushing for an alteration of election sequence are working against President Muhammadu Buhari. Although he apologised, Senate’s Ethics Committee recommended a 181-day suspension for him, which Senate President Bukola Saraki reduced to 90 days. Rather than pursue his protest through the courts as he had started doing or through political channels, Omo-Agege resorted to criminal self-help and in the process made this country a laughing stock in the comity of nations.
Senate gave the police and Department of State Services [DSS] twenty-four hours to find the stolen mace and it was found early the next day, reportedly under a bridge near Abuja City gate. But that should not be the end of this matter. The police must conduct a thorough probe and tell Nigerians how it happened that thugs were able to cart away the Senate mace despite the heavy security presence at the National Assembly Complex.
The Presidency too ordered a probe of the incident that evening after Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu reported the episode to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. All eyes are on the Executive to see how thoroughly, fairly, firmly and speedily it carries out this probe. This is because Omo-Agege is widely described as “a pro-Buhari senator.” The Presidency must be concerned at the perception in some quarters that he was doing its bidding. This is especially since the Senate, in days preceding the mace snatch, had raised several hot button issues including protesting the payment of $500 million for helicopters and also called for the sack of military service chiefs. The ease with which the snatch was done also made some people to allege collusion by powerful quarters.
If it is established that Senator Omo-Agege indeed hatched out and executed this heinous act, he must be visited with exemplary punishment. Anyone who aided and abetted him also deserves exemplary punishment. It was because Godsday Orubebe tried to disrupt announcement of national election results and got away scot free that others are encouraged to do this. Omo-Agege’s act must be the last one of its kind.