Pandemonium, anxiety and confusion could only describe the mood in the Anambra state House of Assembly on Thursday as four armed men, suspected to be operatives of the Directorate of Security Services (DSS), invaded the the complex, trying to whisk away member-elect.
WITHIN NIGERIA gathered that the armed men who into the complex in three vehicles and grabbed the member-elect for Nnewi North constituency, Mr Onyekachukwu Ike after he participated in a valedictory thanksgiving mass for the seventh Assembly.
It was reported that they allegedly forced him into their vehicle and were trying to drive out of the Assembly complex when security personnel quickly locked the exit gate.
However, our source explained that the Acting Clerk of the Assembly, Mrs Esther Aneto and other senior staff lamented that the suspected DSS operatives did not inform them or even the Police personnel at the Assembly before trying to take Ike away.
Nevertheless, one of the suspected DSS operatives, however, explained that they had a court order to arrest the member-elect.
WITHIN NIGERIA gathered that it took the strong intervention of the Speaker, Dr Uche Okafor, and the Deputy Governor, Dr Onyeka Ibezim, who came to represent the Governor at the Valedictory session of the seventh Assembly, before the member-elect was released.
Recall that on May 25, 2023, a Federal High Court, sitting in Awka has issued a bench warrant directed to the Nigeria Police, particularly to the Inspector General of Police Force, to effect the arrest of Hon. Ike popularly known as Ikedoji, a House of Assembly Member Elect representing Nnewi North Constituency and Onyedika Chukwuma and brought before the court for arraignment.
Justice F.O Riman gave the order following what the court described as their refusal to be served with the Charge against them by the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
The Court noted that since the 29th day of March 2023 that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) completed their investigation on Hon Augustine Ike and Onyedika Chukwuma and was indicted, that the duo has refused to show up and they have been on the run and made it difficult for the Court to serve them with the Charge against them.
The Court further stated that it will not assume jurisdiction to start hearing the Charge unless they are served and that the only option left is for the Court to issue a bench warrant to the (IGP) to effect their arrest.