How robbers broke into National Assembly, vandalise Reps’ Spokesman’s office

Despite the number of security personnel detached to secure offices and premises of National Assembly, suspected hoodlums have broken into the office suites of Rep. Benjamin Kalu, Spokesman of the House Of Representatives.

The office is located at suite 1.53, House of Representatives (New Wing), National Assembly Complex, Three Arms Zone, Abuja.

Aside Sergeant-At-Arm which forms the internal security architecture of the National Assembly; there are over 300 other personnel, comprising of the Police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Federal Road Safety Corps and the Department of State Service (DSS); with the Nigerian Army, Navy, Air Force, Immigration and Fire Service having Liaison Offices within the Complex.

Yet, insecurity, robbery, theft, burglary, oil bunkering, impersonation, extortions and other crimes have continued unabated.

It would be recalled that, in 2016, a syndicate involved in oil bunkering within the National Assembly Complex was reportedly bursted and arrested.

There have also been reported cases of car thefts, vandalization, thefts of car batteries and looting of some commercial shops within the Complex.

Since the National Assembly resumed partial plenary on Tuesday, 28th April, 2020, after a 6-week shutdown; the joint security of the National Assembly has made the entrance into the complex a watertight scenario, with even Journalists barred from accessing the premises, except the Lawmakers who only report for plenaries Tuesdays.

Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs and Spokesman of the Green Chamber, Rep Kalu, while narrating how his office was burgled, said the doors to his office suites were all properly locked by his Aides last Tuesday, the 5th of May, 2020, when the Parliament last sat.

He said, “upon resumption of work at the above mentioned office on the morning of Tuesday, 12th May 2020, my aide observed that electrical power in the entire suite had been turned off.

“Upon further investigation, we were shocked to find that the corridor entrance into my main office was mysteriously unlocked, having been used to gain entrance into the suite.

“We also observed that a wooden cabinet previously used to barricade the entrance from inside had been forced aside and that several of the items hitherto occupying the top of the cabinet Jay strewn across the floor,
indicating signs of an unauthorised entry”.

Kalu, who provided picture and video exhibits of his vandalised office, insisted that his offices were “meticulously locked” last Tuesday and nobody was permitted to have access into the suite until this morning.

The Lawmaker said his office was “currently taking inventory of all items and documents in the office to ascertain which items are missing”, while calling on the security agencies to conduct “a swift and thorough investigation” into the matter.

(Credit: Caleb Abah)