The police have recovered the Senate mace that was stolen by suspected thugs who disrupted plenary session at the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly.
Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Mr Aremu Adeniran, revealed this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, barely 24 hours after the hoodlums made away with the mace after invading the Senate.
Lawmakers at the Red Chamber had condemned the incident as an act of treason, saying it was an attempt to overthrow a branch of the Federal Government of Nigeria by force.
They also pointed an accusing finger at the lawmaker representing Delta Central senatorial district, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, claiming he led the hoodlums to plenary to seize the symbol of authority of the Senate.
This led to the arrest of Senator Omo-Agege by the police, although the lawmaker has since denied any involvement in the theft of the mace.
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The National Assembly had also ordered the authorities of the police and the Department of State Service (DSS) to recover the mace.
In line with the directive, Mr Adeniran disclosed in the statement today (Thursday) that the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris, immediately instituted a high-powered Police Investigation and Intelligence Team coordinated by the IGP Monitoring Unit of the force into the incident.
The police boss also directed a total lock-down of the Federal Capital Territory, with intense surveillance patrol and thorough stop and search operations at various police check-points with a view to arresting the perpetrators and possible recovery of the stolen mace.
“The police teams engaged in massive raids of identified criminal spots/flashpoints, stop and search operations, visibility and confidence-building patrols, intelligence gathering which forced the suspected miscreants to abandon the mace at a point under the flyover before the City Gate, where a patriotic passer-by saw it and alerted the police,” the statement read.
The Deputy Force Public Relations Officer noted that a discreet investigation into the incident is still ongoing to arrest and bring the perpetrators to justice.
He also said the police appreciate the members of the public, most especially motorists within Abuja Metropolis for their support, cooperation and timely information during the rigorous stop and search operations that led to the recovery of the mace.
Adeniran stated that the renewed commitment of the police to protecting the lives and property, peace and stability, as well as sustaining democracy in the country remains unequivocal and unwavering.
