Senate Mace Kidnap: When Nigeria lost 109 Senators in one swift terrorist attack

By Ifeanyi Izeze

It beats my imagination the way our minds have been twisted to think in this country. How come Nigerians have become a people of warped minds and so naive that it is now very difficult if not impossible to actually think straight and deeply too?

Whether or not we like the senators for their selfish deportment in allocating themselves unreasonable pays, is outrightly immaterial in this case of a national tragedy that happened last Wednesday 18^th April at the Senate Chambers of the National Assembly. It is vexing that most Nigerians are only pissed by what they described as “assault on our democracy” whatever that means but totally ignored the actual tragedy that befell the nation on that day.

Beyond Omo-Agege and his naughtiness, does it occur to us that all our 109 Senators (whether we liked them or not) could have been or rather were killed in that single attack inside the Senate Chamber?

Supposing the six men or more terrorists that freely strolled into the Chamber with the estranged Senator, Ovie Omo-Agege, came as suicide bombers to blow up the Senate and all its occupants in session, could they have succeeded or not? The answer is very clear: they actually succeeded in killing all our 109 Senators (in that session) including the Senate President and all the principal officers.

Where did we miss it as a nation of serious –minded people? Do terrorists come dressed in rags? No! They come dressed to deceive their targets/security agents and/or evade detection before they carry out their dastardly acts. This was the same thing that played out at the National Assembly. The well-dressed and well-fed middle-age men came into the arena in high-class SUVs and other vehicles alongside Ovie Omo-Agege posing as descent men. They walked into the senate chambers headed straight to the seat of the President where the mace was stationed. And not a single policeman, or DSS, or National Assembly security personnel suspected any foul play and breach of security. Worst of all, no single Senator seating in the chamber even suspected that these men walking with their estranged colleague could be a threat to their lives and that of the mace (their only symbol of authority to sit and make laws for us). Haba! What kind of flaccid people do we have everywhere in this country.

Could there have been any section of the country; state; local government; or even communities that would not have been affected if it were to be that in one swift attack all our 109 senators (whether they are good men/women or not) were killed? Could there have been any religion: Christianity, Islam, paganism, and even atheism that would have been spared in the grieve that would have followed such attack? Would the Hausa, Fulani,Yoruba or Igbo senators be spared from being killed in such attack?

Until we learn to tell ourselves the bitter truth, this country will not make any meaningful progress. Our Senators are so naive that all they have been concerned with has been the recovery of the kidnapped mace and the so called “assault on our democracy.” None of them saw the issue of the security breach which clearly amounts to treason and coup d’état.

How did these attackers in the company of Omo-Agege beat all the security check points and metal detectors at the National Assembly (Senate)? Does the National Assembly have policemen, DSS officers, and even Civil Defence personnel working to protect the facility and people within that that premises? One would have thought that by now, all the policemen, and other security agents posted to the National Assembly (Senate) would have been arrested and detained for interrogation on this act that borders on negligence of duties or worst still complicity in the terrorist attack at the Senate Chambers. Whether anybody wants to hear this or not, the security agents posted to the National Assembly have serious case to answer. The Inspector General of Police and Director General of the Department of State Security Service should be compelled to explain the failure of their agency to live up to their duty call.

The story of “orders” coming from the cabal at the Presidency asking the security agents to “step down” and allow free passage of the Omo-Agege terrorist is nonsense and an outright escapist excuse. Get the officers to explain why they should not be punished for allowing terrorists into the senate chambers and then let them say it was somebody in the Presidency that asked them not to do their constitutionally mandated duties.

Anyhow you want to see it, what happened at the Senate may be setting or rather has set a dangerous precedent in this country and this is the more reason we must address it without bias or partisan politicking. Today it is the Senate, tomorrow it may be the House of Reps, and next tomorrow it may be the Presidency. Supposing it was at the Presidency, we will call it a coup plot to topple the government. Now, because it happened at the National Assembly, it was the “activity of some political thugs” to protest the suspension of their paymaster. Abi? Me I de laugh o!

The terrorist attack at the Senate was not just a happenstance. The way they came in and headed straight for the mace, brushed –off any resistance to their escaping with the mace; and their escape route which was a back door and back gate different from the ones they came in from, obviously shows that the attack was well-planned and severally rehearsed before the actual launch. The Omo-Agege man should be rearrested and kept in custody of the DSS because he sure has serious things to tell us. Granting him bail is making light of his action except the authorities are confirming the wide spread insinuation that he is working with some interest group in the Presidency.

Are we going to fold our hands and let this be swept under the carpet again or stupidly turn this into PDP-APC or National Assembly- Executive blame game? The Federal Government has to institute an independent apolitical investigation into the unfortunate incident at the Senate. Well, first and foremost, the Senate President should organise a thanksgiving service in the church/mosque to thank God/Allah for bringing them back to life because they were all dead but now they live again. God bless Nigeria!

(IFEANYI IZEZE lives in Abuja: [email protected]; 234-8033043009)