Again, police seal Plateau Assembly over leadership crisis

Forum 1 year ago

Again, police seal Plateau Assembly over leadership crisis

The Police High Command has again sealed the Plateau State House of Assembly complex.

Motorists and other road users were on Wednesday barred from using the road leading to the Assembly complex located along John Samci Street in Jos, while policemen and other security operatives manned the gate.

The latest sealing of the Assembly complex was the second within two years following the crisis rocking the House over who should be recognised as the authentic Speaker between Ayuba Abok, who represents Jos East Constituency and Yakubu Sanda, who represents Pengana Constituency.

A High Court in Plateau had on Monday ordered the reinstatement of Ayuba as Speaker, after he was impeached in 2021 by a faction loyal to Sanda

Justice Nafisa Musa described Ayuba’s impeachment as illegal and pronounced it null and void.

Our correspondent gathered that the police sealed off the Assembly complex to forestall a breakdown of law and order.

A source told our correspondent that: “You know that since Abok was removed in 2021 as Speaker by Sanda and his group, he had been in court to challenge his removal.

“So a few days ago, the court reinstated him as Speaker after declaring his removal as illegal. On Tuesday following the court judgment, he came to the Assembly complex and sat in his office as the authentic Speaker and left the office later.

“Yesterday (Wednesday) he came back to the Assembly complex in the morning probably to hold plenary but he was not allowed to enter his office by security operatives who barricaded the whole area. So, the sealing of the complex has been causing tension in the area and adjoining streets.”

The Police Public Relations Officer for the Plateau State Police Command, Alabo Alfred, who also confirmed the security siege on the Assembly complex, said the move was aimed at preventing a breakdown of law and order in the state.

The PPRO said, “We got intelligence reports that there was going to be a breakdown of law and order at the Plateau State House of Assembly complex .

“So,we sent our men there to ensure that nothing of such happens. Our men are there and will remain there because anything that will lead to a breakdown of law and order in the state, the police command will not take it.”