The police in Akwa Ibom on Friday arrested the clerk and the cashier of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly.
The clerk is Mandu Umoren, while the cashier is Monday Akpan.
The two, according to an official of the state assembly, have been detained at the state police headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia, since 9 a.m. on Friday where they went to honour a police invitation.
According to a report by Premium Times, they were invited for questioning over a petition from five lawmakers who were sacked from the assembly in November last year for defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The sacked lawmakers are Nse Ntuen, who represents Essien Udim State Constituency; Idongesit Ituen, Itu; Victor Udofia, Ikono; Otobong Ndem, Mkpat Enin; and Gabriel Toby, Etim Ekpo/Ika.
Police invitation to Mrs Umoren and Mr Akpan said the sacked lawmakers reported a case of financial fraud and embezzlement against them.
The invitation was signed by Nwachukwu Enwonwu, a deputy commissioner of police in charge of criminal investigation and intelligence, and routed through the Speaker, Akwa Ibom House of Assembly, Onofiok Luke.
“They (the clerk and the cashier) were there (at the police headquarters) since morning. They were done with their statement to the police at about 9.30 a.m. and were asked by the commissioner of police to go home. As they were about descending the stairs, they were asked to come back. Some police officers told them they got instruction not to let them go,” said the assembly official who did not want his name mentioned in the report because he was not authorised to speak on the matter.
The official said the real reason the assembly clerk and cashier have been arrested and detained is the stoppage of the salary and allowances of the sacked lawmakers.
“You know, there is no way they could be paid since they have been sacked by the assembly,” he said.
The two officials were still being detained at the police headquarters as at 6.30 p.m.
The Akwa Ibom assembly has been embroiled in a lingering, and sometimes violent, crisis since the lawmakers were sacked.
The assembly premises was at some point sealed off by the police.
The Akwa Ibom State Government has repeatedly accused the police of taking side with the APC and the sacked lawmakers.
The state governor, Udom Emmanuel, in November last year led some security officials and some youth loyal to the state government to the assembly premises to chase away the sacked lawmakers who were having ‘sitting’.
