Soldiers Invade Kogi State House of Assembly

Armed Soldiers  on Tuesday invaded the Kogi State House of Assembly, and prevented Kogi lawmakers from entering the parliamentary building according to the Punch reports.

The Kogi assembly has been in turmoil since February when a group of lawmakers impeached the Speaker of the assembly Momoh Lawal. The assembly then broke into two factions with two speakers.

A group of legislators on Thursday known as the G15, who had secured an Abuja court ruling, held a plenary session.

The G15 is led by the embattled Speaker, Mr. Momoh-Jimoh Lawal.

The court had ruled that the impeachment of Lawal as the speaker was null and void.

The soldiers allegedly from the Army Record Unit, Kogi, had dislodged the riot policemen, who had manned the Assembly’s gate since last week.

Spokesperson for the G15, Matthew Kolawole, expressed shock at the turn of events.

Hon. Kolawole said he was shocked to discover that soldiers had barricaded the Assembly’s gate. Kolawole said the soldiers prevented them from entering the parliament.

He also added that unknown gunmen in two vans had stormed the Kogi legislative quarters in the midnight of Monday and shot repeatedly into the air in order to intimidate the members of the G15.

The Special Adviser to the state governor on Media and Strategy, Alhaji Abdulkareem Abdulmalik, denied that the state government was involved in the crisis. He said the soldiers were there to prevent the breakdown of law and order.

The Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Yakubu Usman also said he withdrew his men in order to prevent a clash that might result in the loss of lives.