Police take over Ekiti Assembly, say we acted on security alert

EKITI Police Command, yesterday, evening clarified that its presence at the state House of Assembly was as a result of security alert that a security breach was about to happen at the complex.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti Command, DSP Sunday Abutu, who made the clarification, said they took the prompt action by placing restriction on movement within and outside the Assembly premises to prevent breakdown of law and order and to also protect lives and property.

Ekiti State House of Assembly was in the early hours of Wednesday, just before the commencement of the day’s business put under lock and keys over a rumoured plan to invade the place by some unidentified thugs.

Offices within the Assembly complex were shut down, as members of staff of the Assembly were immediately asked to vacate the premises and have the rest of the day as holiday

Armed policemen were stationed at strategic locations in the House to prevent the purported invasion and brwak down of laws and order.

In an interview, some of the workers who spoke with newsmen under anonymity explained that there was an order from the State Police Headquarters that workers should vacate the assembly in the interest of peace, saying some people were planning to attack the House of Assembly.

Bear with us normalcy ‘ll soon return — Speaker

The newly elected Speaker of the Assembly, Gboyega Aribisogan, during a telephone chat with newsmen, said there was no crisis in the assembly.

His words: “The leadership of the police command in Ekiti informed us this morning that they had verifiable intelligence about some hoodlums coming to attack the assembly complex and to avoid breakdown of law and order, hence the need for their presence and they have promised us to conducts investigation on the matter and report to us before the close of work today

“I want to encourage my colleagues and staff of the assembly to be patient and bear with us, normalcy will soon return to the house.”

Aribisogan was elected as the new speaker of the assembly yesterday after defeating Mrs Olubunmi Adelugba from Emure Ekiti.

We acted on security alert —Police

Reacting on the situation at the Assembly, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti Command, DSP Sunday Abutu, said they took the prompt action by placing restriction to prevent breakdown of law and order.

Abutu told the members of the public not to entertain fear, saying the deployment was to safeguard the lives and government’s property over ominous signs that security was about to be breached at the Assembly’s complex.

The police spokesman, said; “We acted on security alert we received that some people were planning to invade the assembly, and we owe it a duty to safeguard the lives of the people and public utilities.

“We can’t wait or tarry and allow the lives of the staff of the assembly to be threatened by any means. So, we took proactive measure by deploying our men there to secure the assembly complex.

“Our people shouldn’t see our action as a big deal. No course for alarm. We are on top of the situation.