Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
There was pandemonium at the Anambra State House of Assembly after armed men believed to be operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) attempted to arrest the lawmaker-elect for Nnewi North constituency, Mr Onyekachukwu Ike.
Ikengaonline learned that the armed men drove into the Assembly complex and grabbed the member-elect who was said to have participated in a valedictory service for the Seventh Assembly.
An eyewitness said, “They bundled the member-elect into their vehicle and were trying to drive out of the Assembly complex when security personnel quickly blocked and locked the exit gate of the chamber.
The Acting Clerk of the Assembly, Mrs Esther Aneto and other senior staff who confirmed the incident, said the suspected DSS operatives did not inform them or even the police personnel before trying to whisk away the lawmaker-elect.
A source said: “One of the suspected DSS operatives explained that they had a court order to arrest the member-elect for Nnewi North constituency.
“It took the intervention of the Speaker, Dr Uche Okafor and the Deputy Governor, Dr Onyeka ,who came to represent the Governor at the valedictory session of the Seventh Assembly, before the member-elect was released.”
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO)Tochukwu Ikenga confirmed the incident, saying the matter had been resolved.
He said, “No cause for alarm, it has been resolved. I think it was DSS that was on that mission, but I think everything has been resolved. I was told that the deputy governor and speaker of the house intervened. So, everything was resolved but I don’t know the circumstances surrounding serving him ( Ike) invitation.”
