Several legislative aides and National Assembly workers were arrested by security forces after looting various items from offices in the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.
Sources say that the accused were attempting to take items including televisions, electronic devices, furniture, and air conditioners from the building as the 10th National Assembly was preparing to resume sessions on Tuesday.
These individuals were apprehended while attempting to remove the items from the complex without having the appropriate passes.
The Sergeant-at-Arms at the National Assembly, Chuks Obaloje confirmed the incident in a chat with Punch.
He said, “Yes, some people were arrested while trying to go out with some items from the National Assembly. But I wasn’t on duty on the day it happened, so I can’t provide you with details.
“Please contact the Crime Division of the National Assembly.”
Despite the incident, Rawlings Agada, Director of Information at the National Assembly, emphasized that the arrests show the effectiveness of the National Assembly’s security systems.
Agada explained, “I don’t want people to sensationalise the issue. What happened was that people were stopped from going out with items that were discovered not to be theirs.
“A pass was issued for the items and accredited to each office. The pass has a list of each item that should be taken out from each office, so if an item that was not on the list was found, such would not be allowed to go out.
“And just as you were checked and cleared to come in, you also need to be checked and cleared when going out.”
