Mace theft: Perpetrators and their sponsors must face justice, says APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the theft of the senate mace by some thugs earlier on Wednesday.

The mace – which is the senate’s symbol of authority – was carted away by the hoodlums who came with Ovie Omo-Agege, senator from Delta state.

The senator carried out the act  a week after he was suspended by the upper legislative chamber.

In a statement sent to TheCable, the APC described the incident as the “desecration of the national assembly.”

The statement signed by Bolaji Abdullahi, the party spokesman, called for the prosecution of the thugs as well as “their sponsors”.

It read: “The attention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been drawn to the invasion of the Nigerian senate by suspected thugs who disrupted Wednesday’s plenary and made away with the mace.

“The APC hereby condemns this action and views it as an attack on our democracy and a desecration of the hallowed institution of the national assembly.

“We therefore call on security agencies to take all necessary actions to recover the stolen mace and ensure that the perpetrators and their sponsors are brought to justice.”

Omo-Agege was later arrested after he returned to the red chambers.

The invasion has been condemned by both chambers of the national assembly.

The senate said it is an act of treason and gave the Nigeria police force and Department of State Services (DSS) 24 hours to recover the instrument.