AWKA, Nigeria – A sudden and intense flurry of activity swept the Anambra State House of Assembly on Thursday, June 8, 2023, as four armed men, suspected to be operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, attempted to apprehend Mr Onyekachukwu Ike, the member-elect for the Nnewi North constituency.
The unidentified men, arriving in three vehicles, descended upon the Assembly complex moments after the member-elect had participated in a valedictory thanksgiving mass marking the conclusion of the seventh Assembly’s term.
The men forcibly bundled Mr Ike into a vehicle and prepared to depart when security personnel promptly secured the Assembly’s exit gate, effectively stymieing their escape.
The assembly’s Acting Clerk, Mrs Esther Aneto, along with several other senior staff, voiced consternation over the incident.
They pointed out that the alleged DSS operatives had not sought requisite clearance from the Assembly’s internal security or the local police before executing the arrest attempt.
When confronted, one of the suspected operatives revealed that they had acted on the authority of a court order mandating the arrest of Mr Ike.
However, it was not until the intervention of the Speaker, Dr Uche Okafor, and Deputy Governor, Dr Onyeka Ibezim, who was in attendance to represent the Governor at the valedictory session of the seventh Assembly, that the tension eased and the member-elect was ultimately released.
The circumstances leading to the arrest warrant remain unclear, and the DSS has yet to release an official statement regarding the incident.
The event has sparked widespread concerns over the respect for rule of law and legislative independence in Anambra State.
