A civil society organisation has faulted suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan over an alleged security breach at the National Assembly, following the unsealing of her office on Tuesday.
National Integrity Watch claimed that video footage showing the Deputy Director of the Sergeant-at-Arms, Alabi Adedeji, removing a red seal from the senator’s office door early Tuesday was followed by the reported arrival of suspected individuals at the Assembly premises.
“The office was unsealed early this morning, and she brought thugs to invade NASS this afternoon,” the group’s National Convener, Dr. John Samuel, alleged. He further claimed that mobile toiletries were brought into the premises in breach of security regulations.
In its statement, the group alleged that individuals ferried in from Delta and Borno states attempted to damage property and harass staff in a bid to gain access for Akpoti-Uduaghan, whose suspension remains the subject of court proceedings.
Dr. Samuel cautioned that the legislature “is bigger than any individual” and described the alleged incident as a campaign of “thuggery and street nuisance.”
National Integrity Watch called on the Nigeria Police Force to take action to safeguard the National Assembly, its staff, and the public, adding that public office is “a privilege, not a licence to intimidate or desecrate the legislature.”
