Senate invasion: Court stops Saraki, Dogara, others from considering ad hoc committee report

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Bwari has restrained Senate President Bukola Saraki, House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara and eight others from considering the report of the Senate’s ad hoc committee set up to probe the April 18, 2018 invasion of the Senate by some unidentified hoodlums.

In a ruling on Monday, Justice Othman Musa said the restraining order shall remain, pending the determination of a suit filed by Senator Ovie Omo-Agege.

The senator is challenging the legitimacy of the ad hoc committee constituted by the Senate’s leadership on April 25, last year, in the wake of the invasion when the Senate’s mace was also stolen.

Justice Musa said: “Leave is granted to the applicant to serve the first to the 10th respondents by substituted means, by serving the originating motion and other processes in the suit on any responsible clerk or staff at the office of the Clerk of the National Assembly at the National Assembly complex, Three Arms Zone, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, or publishing same processes in any national daily with national circulation.

“Reliefs iii, iv, v, vi are not granted as prayed. In its place, the first to 10th respondents are ordered and admonished not to obstruct the cause of justice and abide by the authority in the Supreme Court decision in UBA Plc vs. Ajabule 2011, LPELR 8239 SC and Military Governor, Lagos State vs. Ojukwu.

“To this end, the respondents, their servants, agents, officers, privies, sergeants-at-arms or whosoever are restrained from taking any further action on this subject matter, and to maintain the status quo as of today, pending the hearing of the originating motion.

“The originating motion and all pending applications are fixed to May 13 for definite hearing.

Case is adjourned till May 13 for definite hearing.”

Listed as first to 10th defendants are: the Senate President, the House of Representatives Speaker, the Deputy Senate President, the House of Representatives Deputy Speaker, Senator Ahmed Lawan (Senate Leader), Senator Bala Na’Allah (Chairman, joint ad hoc committee investigating the Invasion of the National Assembly on April 18, 2018 and the theft thereof of the mace) for himself and on behalf of all other members of the committee.

Others are: Betty Apiafi (Co-Chairman Chairman, joint ad hoc committee investigating the Invasion of the National Assembly on April 18, 2018 and the theft thereof of the mace), the Clerk of the National assembly, the Clerk of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives.

Omo-Agege averred that Saraki, before setting up the ad hoc committee, told the media that he (Omo-Agege) was responsible for the invasion.

He argued that by so acting, the Senate President had prejudged the outcome of the investigation by the committee.