The Police in Ekiti State allegedly stopped a plot to set fire to the state House of Assembly in the nation’s capital on Friday.
According to sources, some men allegedly tried to set fire to the Assembly at around 4 am by scaling its fence, but Police Officers from the Rapid Response Squad were already on the spot.
Sunday Abutu, the Police Public Relations Officer for the Ekiti State Command, who confirmed the attempted attack on Friday, claimed that 10 thugs arrived at the Assembly about 4 am with two 25-litre kegs of gasoline and attempted to light it on fire.
Abutu said, “I can confirm to you that the hoodlums carrying two kegs filled with petrol and also armed with cutlasses and other weapons came to burn down the Assembly at the wee hours of today (Friday).
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“They thought that police, deployed to the Assembly since Wednesday had left the place, because our patrol vehicles had been withdrawn from the two gates. They thought the place was no longer under security cover. They came through a section of the complex, but they were resisted.
“The operatives of the RRS gave them a hot chase into the bush and recovered two kegs filled with petrol from them, among other dangerous exhibits. We want to warn our people not to turn the Assembly into a theatre of war.
“It is an arm of government that must be respected, so people should desist from creating unnecessary crisis. Let me also said that our men and officers are on ground to repel any dangerous moves being made by mischief makers to spark up trouble in any part of the state.”
However, Abutu stated that the police were pursuing them despite his claim that no one had been detained in relation to the attempted arson attack.
Since Wednesday, the Assembly has been under police control due to an alleged plot by some people to invade the building the day after Gboyega Aribisogan, the former Leader of Government Business, defeated Olubunmi Adelugba to become Speaker and succeed Funminiyi Afuye, who passed away on October 19.
Moronkeji Adesina, the Police commissioner, sent Police Officers to the Assembly and ordered its closure to maintain law and order at the same time as the personnel of the legislative body had been told to leave the complex so as not to be caught off guard.
