NASS invasion: Court restrains Saraki, others from considering report

Justice Othman Musa of an Abuja High Court has stopped the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, speaker of the House Reps, Yakubu Dogara and eight others from deliberating on the report ad-hoc committee set up to probe the April 18, 2018 invasion of the Senate by some unidentified hoodlums.

Recall that thugs supposedly sponsored by Omo-Agege had, in April 2018, broke into the Senate Chamber during plenary and carted away the Mace, considered the symbol of authority of the Legislature.

A committee was therefore set up on April 25, 2018 to investigate the invasion of the Senate.

Omo-Agege had filed a suit marked BW/M/204/2019, challenging the legitimacy of the ad-hoc committee constituted by the Senate’s leadership.

The senator claimed that Saraki had, before setting up the ad-hoc committee, told the press that he (Omo-Agege) was responsible for the invasion, therefore, prejudging the outcome of the investigation by the committee.

Justice Musa said “Leave is granted to the Applicant to serve the 1st – 10th respondents by substituted means, by serving the originating motion and other processes in the suit on any responsible clerk or staff at the office of the Clerk of the National Assembly, at the National Assembly Complex, Three Arms Zone, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja or publishing same processes on any national daily with national circulation.

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“Reliefs iii, iv, v, vi are not granted as prayed, in its place, the 1st – 10th respondents are ordered and admonished not to obstruct the cause of justice and abide by the authority in the Supreme Court decision in UBA Plc vs. Ajabule 2011 LPELR 8239 SC and Military Governor, Lagos State vs. Ojukwu.

“To this end, the respondents, their servants, agents, officers, privies, sergeants at arms or whosoever are restrained from taking any further action on this subject matter, and to maintain the status quo as of today, pending the hearing of the originating motion.

“Originating motion and all pending applications are fixed to the 13th day of May, 2019 for definite hearing. Case is adjourned to the 13th day of May 2019 for definite hearing. “

Listed as 1st to 10th defendants include: The President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Deputy Senate President, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Reps, Senator Ahmed Lawan (Senate Leader), Senator Bala Na’Allah (Chairman, joint ad-hoc committee investigating the Invasion of the National Assembly on the 18th of April 2018 and the theft thereof of the mace) for himself and on behalf of all other members of the committee.

Others are: Hon. Betty Apiafi (Co-Chairman Chairman, joint ad-hoc committee investigating the Invasion of the National Assembly on the 18th of April 2018 and the theft thereof of the mace), the Clerk of the National assembly, the Clerk of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Reps.