News Release: Police And State Security Service Invasion Of Nigeria’s National Assembly Is Treason

The Centre for Rights and Grassroots Initiative (CRGI) condemns in strong terms the barbaric, crude, retrogressive, illegal, reckless, irresponsible, invitation to chaos, threat to national peace and security, undemocratic, unconstitutional and treasonable invasion of the National Assembly by men and officers of the Nigeria Police Force and Department of State Security Services.

We regard this criminal invasion as not only an assault on the democratic rights of Nigerians as entrusted in the National Assembly which is the bastion of our democracy but also as an act of treason by the security agencies who attempted to illegitimately overthrow a constitutionally created arm of government by shutting it down.

The legislature is an arm of government among three, namely the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary created and recognized by the constitution which stipulates the separation of functions for the peace, harmony and progress of the Nigerian state.

By treasonably invading the National Assembly to prevent the law makers from carrying out their constitutional responsibilities, the Nigeria Police force under the leadership of IGP Suleiman Abba and the DSS under the leadership Mr. Ita Ekpeyong have violated the constitution and ought to be sanctioned according to law.

We are hereby using this medium to call on the Police Service Commission (PSC) and the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) as well as the National Assembly committees on Police affairs and national security to immediately commence investigation and recommend prosecution of the personnel responsible for this show of shame and treason by these security agencies.

We are also calling for the immediate removal from office of IGP Suleiman Abba and DG. DSS Mr. Ita Ekpeyong for violating the constitution and their oath of allegiance by bringing public and international opprobrium upon the image of the Nigeria Police and the DSS in particular and Nigerians in general through this national embarrassment and treasonable act.

We are as well calling for an immediate reorientation and reformation of the DSS and the Nigeria Police which have become a threat to national peace, unity and security, partisan and mere appendage to the whims and caprices of President Goodluck Jonathan and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in utter violation of their constitutional responsibility to the people of Nigeria for the enforcement of societal peace, law and order.

Nelson Ekujumi,

Executive Director.