Police tear-gas Niger lawmakers

Some members of the Niger State
House of Assembly were yesterday tear-
gassed by the police in Minna, the state
capital, following their attempts to entre the
assembly complex forcefully.

Armed policemen had as early as 7 am,
barricaded the gate to the complex and
prevented the assemblymen from from
entering the premises to carry out legislative
functions.
There had been confusion in the House
following the alleged claims by some
members that they had removed the Speaker,
Adamu Usman and replaced him with Isah
Kawu, Tuesday.
Usman in a swift reaction said that he was
still the speaker adding that his purported
removal did not follow due process.
However, an attempt by the factional
Speaker, Alhaji Kawu and some members of
the House to gain entry into the premises for
the day’s business was met with resistance
by the police who fired cannisters of tear gas
to prevent them from coming closer.
Besides barricading the gate, the armed
policemen encircled the Assembly fence to
prevent any the members who had also
threatened to initiate impeachment
proceedings on the state Governor,
Babangida Aliyu from climbing over to the
House.
The members, led by Kawu however left the
scene and relocated to the Assembly Staff
Quarters where they held an emergency
meeting.
Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Idris
Ndako Kpaki who was a member of the
House and Commissioner for Local
Government, Yusuf
Tagwai were said to have trailed the
lawmakers to the new venue to reach a truce
on the matter but, it was gathered that their
intervention did not yield dividends, even
with the assurances by the governor to settle
all their demands.
The legislators it was gathered insisted that
the security agents drafted to the assembly
should be orderd to vacate the complex to
allow them carry out their legislative
functions.
Niger State Commissioner of Police, Mr.
Olushola Amore who later arrived at the
House of Assembly refused to entertain
questions from newsmen on the
development.