Top Line

Thursday 20 November 2014

Tambuwal tear gassed at National assembly

Confusion as security operatives deny Tambuwal access to National Assembly complex Added by Witness Nigeria on November 20, 2014.ambuwal:Lawmakers climb gate to gain entry ABUJA- By Adediwura Folorunso Security operatives, Thursday, fenced the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal from entering the National Assembly Complex. Lawmakers who accompanied the speaker had to climb the second entry point gate as some who could not climb sustained injuries while trying to scale over. At about 10.54am after much entreaties the speaker was allowed entry but other lawmakers were denied entry. The speaker’s official car was detained but after his entry into the outer space of the complex, Security men barricaded him and shot tear gas carnisters into the air to scare him but the speaker stood his ground. . The speaker who got to NASS at about 10.38am was accompanied by a long convoy of cars and was allowed to pass through the outer gate entry point. The Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha arrived earlier at about 10.35am and was given a presidential passage into the complex. Chat conversation end By Witness: The atmosphere at the National Assembly complex, Abuja was tense on Today as men of the Nigeria Police and the Department of Security Services (DSS) prevented the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, from gaining access to the premises. It took the intervention of some angry members of the House, who forcibly took the Speaker in, for him to finally got his way in. Tambuwal, after being ‘rescued’ from the security operatives, was made to trek about 500 meter distance from the main gate to the House of Representatives chambers premises. It was reported that the operatives shot several rounds of teargas in their bid to deny the Speaker and his entourage access to the complex. The lower chamber of the National Assembly was to meet today to consider President Goodluck Jonathan’s request for an extension of State of Emergency declared in three North Eastern states – Borno, Adamawa and Yobe – where Boko Haram’s activities have resulted in lots of grief. Thursday’s plenary would be the first since Tambuwal’s defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the main opposition party, All Progressives Congress.