There was distortion in the peace enjoyed by residents of Benin City, the Edo state on Thursday, October 17, 2014, following immediate protests arising from the arrest and detention of the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Uyi Igbe, the majority Leader, Philip Shaibu and the Chief Whip, Folly Ogedegbe, over an alleged signature forgery within the next 24 hours.
It was learnt that the three legislators were arrested and detained by officials of the Economic and Financial crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday, October 16, 2014 for allegedly forging Razak Momoh’s signature in a bid to impeach the Deputy Speaker, Festus Ebea.
The Chairman, House Committee on Information, Adjoto Kabiru, in a press briefing in Benin said the three legislators who were wounded during the encounter on the legislators’ quarters were being unjustifiably punished and without medical attention.
He further said that Shaibu was restricted from seeing his doctor who flew into Abuja and alleging that they learnt that President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered that the three lawmakers be charged to court for an offence he said was not within the purview of the EFCC, according to Daily Independent reports.
Adding that the Speaker, Uyi Igbe, collapsed twice as at 12 noon on Thursday, October 17, 2014 due to the extreme condition of detention given to them.
Also, he revealed that the majority leader was reportedly bleeding from his palm where he was injured on Saturday, October 11, 2014 during the attack at the House of Assembly.
He said, “the forgery of signature is a duty for the Police to investigate. The EFCC is set up to clean up the financial system, but we are surprised that the agency was yet to investigate allegations of oil theft, private jet with $9.3 million, stealing of $20 billion as alleged by former CBN Governor and now Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.”
As a result of this development,the Edo Assembly Committee Chairman on Information, and member representing Akoko-Edo II, charged Nigerians to remind the EFCC that impeachment is an internal affairs of Edo House of Assembly.
He further demanded that President Goodluck should prove his innocence over the claims of giving the EFCC order to detain the law makers indefinitely.
Lawmakers Released
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has released the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Uyi Igbe; Majority Leader, Philip Shaibu; and the Chief Whip, Folly Ogedengbe.
Sequel to a scheduled meeting with the anti-graft agency on Wednesday, October 15, 2015, the Chairman, House Committee on Youths, Sports and Information, Adjoto Kabiru, disclosed the alleged arrest and detention of the three legislators on Thursday, October 16, 2014 for charges bordering on forgery of a signature to impeach a key officer in the legislation.
The Speaker of the Edo state house of assembly, Uyi Igbe expressed dissatisfaction with the agency in a speech at the Benin airport maintaining that they were neglecting the vital area of investigating finacial crime and focusing on Edo house of assembly.
Igbe said, “I was under the impression that they were to investigate financial misappropriations, only for us to get there and issues that concerned the House of Assembly was what they(EFCC officials) were bringing up.“What they were telling us was that somebody alleged that we forged the signature among the signatures that we used to impeach the former Deputy Speaker, Festus Ebea.
“I was taken completely aback. Then again, I’m not too surprised because we all know that this is the systematic way they have been using to harass and intimidate us since.
“But I want them to know that this is only going to make us stronger. We will remain focused. We will not shake. We refuse to be intimidated.”
On tyhe other hand, the Edo State Police Command has disclosed that about 22 suspects have been charged to an Oredo Magistrate Court in Beninin connection with attack at the Edo State House of Assembly Legislators’ Quarters on Saturday, October 11, 2014 .
