Plateau Assembly Complex To Remain Closed – Police Insist

The Plateau State Police Command has given reasons why it closed down the state Assembly complex last week.

The Plateau police has also revealed that the assembly complex would remain locked until everything is settled.

Naija News reported last week Wednesday that the Plateau State House of Assembly complex was sealed by the state police command due to the ongoing speakership crisis.

It was learnt that anti-riot policemen arrived at the assembly complex at about 5 am on Wednesday and sealed the main entrance.

This is coming after a Plateau High Court on Monday reinstated Nuhu Abok as the Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly.

Drama had played out on Tuesday when the reinstated speaker resumed only to find his office locked.

Even though he eventually had access to his office, some of his loyalists and those of the current speaker Yakubu Sanda, almost had a clash over Abok’s return.

However, the police in the state at a press conference at the Police Command in Jos on Tuesday revealed that the Assembly complex was locked to avoid break down of law and order.

CP Bartholomew Onyeka told the press that the Assembly will remain locked until issues are settled.

Onyeka submitted that “On the 3rd of April 2023, the Plateau State Police Command, through Social Media got the information that RT. Hon. Abok Ayuba, the former Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly who was impeached on Thursday, October 28, 2021, has been got judgment in his favour to be reinstated as the Speaker, Plateau State House of Assembly, a development which the Command was not duly served or officially informed as at the time.

“Therefore on the 4th of April 2023, having gotten information that some mischievous persons who, based on intelligence mobilized sufficiently to ensure that they gain unrestricted access by whatever means necessary to the House of Assembly Complex, I took that decision to ensure that the State House of Assembly is safe and that neither life nor property is lost.

“In view of the intelligence I got, an invitation was sent to the honourable members of the Plateau State House of Assembly which they honoured and came with their team of lawyers, there and then along with Members of my Management Team, they were advised not to do anything that will lead or be inimical to a breakdown of law and order hence, the deployment of Policemen to guard the premises as earlier stated because it will be negligence and dereliction of duty on my part as the CP here on the Plateau if having gotten the above intelligence, I fail to do that for which I’m here to do, which is to protect lives and properties and above all, to ensure the continued peace in Plateau State so that life and business can go on smoothly.

“Therefore, the deployment of Police personnel to the State House of Assembly wasn’t targeted against any group or persons, as it was merely preventive to maintain peace, protect lives and properties and to prevent the breakdown of law and order.

“After taking such measures, the Police who is also a party in the suit filed notices and injunctions of appeal and stay of execution on the same 3rd of April 2023 which was equally served on the parties concerned. From that period, a series of meetings have been held with the view toward ensuring that the Plateau State House of Assembly Complex is secured adequately.

“On our part as the Police we are only concerned to ensure that Plateau State remains peaceful for all to live in and the Commissioner of Police would not fold his arms and watch the honourable members of the Plateau State House of Assembly turn the premises of the Assembly into a battlefield or a boxing ring.

“My powers as the Commissioner of Police as enshrined in section 214 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and section 4 of the Police Acts 2020 is relevant.”