Attack on Edo legislative quarters an act of terrorism, Lagos lawmaker

Eromosele Ebhomele

The chairman of the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Information, Security and Strategy, Segun Olulade, has condemned last Saturday’s attacks on APC lawmakers at the their official residence in Benin, Edo state, Southern Nigeria.

Olulade, in a statement to House correspondents, condemned the action of the hoodlums calling it act of terrorism especially as the hoodlums carried out the attack in broad daylight without recourse to the security agents that were on ground.

He said: “it is nothing but terrorism and insurgency. It was carried out in the broad-day light; massive weapons were used and the perpetrators dared the existing government security agencies in the state. So what more do you call it?

“But more worrisome was the fact that in spite pre-notice to the police about the attack, the PDP hoodlums still carried out their abhorrent attacks on the APC lawmakers and their families.”

Olulade, who represents Epe Constituency 2 at the House, expressed dissatisfaction with the roles of the police in the entire saga.

He noted that in a country where lives and properties are constantly threatened by every terror group or criminals without check, there are many questions to be answered about security of lives and properties of the citizenry in such a country.

“Allowing the police force to degenerate to mere political tool by the Federal Government is worrisome; it is even more worrisome when you are tagged an opposition whenever an act like this is condemned.

“The country is fast degenerating into a state of anarchy. In the previous republics, we knew of political violence but have never seen the kind of subjective roles being played by the Nigerian Security Agencies as seen under the present administration of President Goodluck Jonathan,” he said.

According to Olulade, the attack on the APC lawmakers does not guarantee the sponsors of the hoodlums that they would win elections in the state.

“Imagine hoodlums numbering over 100 carrying out broad-day attack on government properties, destroying over 30 cars and other properties.

“This is not good for our economy, it will continue to set us back rather than move forward economically and politically,” he said while calling on Inspector-General Suleiman Abba to institute a special panel to investigate the attack so as to clear the impression that the force was acting a script.