Reps in shouting match over Joseph Mbu

‎The plenary of the federal house of representatives was rowdy and tensed on Tuesday, as members argued about a motion moved by Aliyu Madaki that Joseph Mbu, an assistant inspector-general of police, should be relieved of any role in the conduct of the 2015 general election.

Madaki hinged his motion on the utterances and actions of Mbu, which‎ he said were at variance with the constitution and provisions of the Electoral Act.

In the motion, titled ‘Violation of the constitution and Disrespect for the Rule of Law by Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Mbu Joseph Mbu’, Madaki sought to compel the police high command to take disciplinary actions against Mbu for giving “such an unconstitutional order”.

“The house notes with regret the statement by Joseph Mbu, AIG, which was widely reported in national dailies and which amounted to a violation of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria, 1999,” he said.

“Aware that the constitution guarantees immunity to state‎ governors and their deputies and therefore, no authority or person, including courts of law, has the right not to accord governors such privileges.

“Mbu allegedly directed all officers and men in his command to disregard any immunity being enjoyed by any governor, which action amounted to a violation of the constitution.

“The house is concerned about the statement allegedly made by Mbu that if one police officer is killed during the 2015 elections, between 20 to 100 citizens would be killed in return.”

The house members entered into a shouting match when Linus Okorie challenged the motion on the grounds that‎ Mbu was unavailable to defend himself.

The noise grew deafening as house members would not let Okorie speak.

In a bid to calm the situation, Emeka Ihedioha‎, deputy speaker, who presided over the sitting, moved for a voice vote on the matter.

But the voice votes were not clearly defined, and Ihedioha sent the motion to the committee on police affairs for investigation.

Mbu was earlier reported to have declared that for every policeman killed during the election, 20 civilians would be killed in return.

he echoed similar sentiments  last week during the inauguration of the Olorunsogo II Power Station last week by President Goodluck Jonathan in Ogun state.

“I still stand by what I said. And what I said is very clear, that if any violent group attacks my policemen, my policemen should attack them violently,” he said.

“If any violent group attacks a law-abiding citizen in a bid to cause injury or cause harm, the police should repel and save that law-abiding citizen because we have the powers to do so.

“If hoodlums or touts decide to be lawless, carrying knives and illegal firearms and shooting at my policemen; if they shoot at my policemen and they are a hundred or 200, my policemen will not be looking at them. They will reply in self-defence.”