Senate Mandates Its Committee To Investigate Invasion OF Court By SSS Operatives

BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – The Senate on Thursday directed its Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters to investigate the invasion of the Federal High Court, Abuja, by operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS).

The Upper Chamber gave the directive at its plenary following a motion predicated upon a point of order raised by Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central).

The Senate recalled that operatives of the SSS allegedly invaded the premises of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on December 6, 2019, to re-arrest the Publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, who was released on bail a day earlier.

Opeyemi, relying on Section 43 of the Senate Standing Rules, said the reported invasion of the court room allegedly by officials of the DSS is an issue that raised a lot of concerns in different quarters in Nigeria.

He said; “The leadership and members of the Judiciary are particularly concerned about this development because they believe that the court room is meant to be a sanctuary.

“For us as a Senate, we cannot analyze issues based on conclusions without facts that we consider technical. Much as we cannot jump into conclusion, also is the fact that we cannot pretend not to know that Nigerians are concerned about this development.

“Mr. President, the reason I came under 43 is so that I will not generate any controversy or even make the Senate debate over an issue like I said earlier, we still need to have facts and evidence.

“As elected representatives of the people in whom Nigerians and including the Judiciary must find their voice, that we mandate our committee on National Security and Intelligence to interface with the security agencies to investigate what happened and report back to the Senate”, Opeyemi said.

Ruling on the point of Order raised by Senator Opayemi, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, mandated the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters to investigate the alleged invasion of the Federal High Court by SSS operatives.

The Committee, which is chaired by Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, is expected to turn in its report by next week Thursday.