Posted by From MARIAM ALESHINLOYE AGBOOLA , Jos and GODWIN TSA, Abuja on
Two members of the Plateau State House of Assembly were on Thursday arrested in Abuja by men of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) while they were on their way to attend a court session along with other members of the Assembly.
Two members of the Plateau State House of Assembly were on Thursday arrested in Abuja by men of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) while they were on their way to attend a court session along with other members of the Assembly.
The 14 members, including the Speaker, Barrister Simon Lalong were moving from the hotel to the Federal High Court, Maitama when a detachment of the police, which had apparently taken refuge close to the hotel gave their convoy a hot chase and succeeded in arresting two members, Sam Damulak and Victor Lampang.
According to the information gathered, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had taken the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to court to declare the seats of the 14 members of the House who had defected from PDP to the Advanced Congress for Democrats (ACD), vacant. This was after the PDP had written to the commission to declare their seats vacant since they were elected into offices on its platform.
When they got wind of the development, the members had gone to Abuja to demand that they should be joined in the suit since they will be affected by the court's decision.
But unknown to them, the EFCC was also having its game plan on their journey to Abuja and had planned to arrest all the members for reasons unknown to them.
During the chase, the convoy succeeded in getting to the court before the police could catch up with them and the members including the Speaker hurriedly entered the court premises to escape arrest but the other two were not as lucky.
As at press time the members were still in court while the policemen had surrounded the court premises waiting for them to come out.
The state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Dakas Dakas who was also in Abuja confirmed on phone that the detachment of the police were from the EFCC and wondered why the commission should be after the men when a court in Kaduna has already ruled that the members should no longer be arrested by the EFCC.