There was confusion at the lobby of the National Assembly in Abuja on Friday as a member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Ibrahim Olaifa, and his aides manhandled an official of the Federal Road Safety Corps.
The offence of the FRSC official, Mr. Mediel Jerry, was that he reportedly clamped Olaifa’s car for parking at an unauthorised area in the complex.
The car, a 2011 Honda Accord marked MHR 100, was parked at the entrance to the lobby linking the Senate and House chambers.
The security division of NASS had disallowed parking in front of the lobby, a new security measure taken in the wake of recent threats in the country.
Findings indicated that security officials and traffic control personnel at the NASS were under an instruction to clamp any vehicle that breached the rule.
The vehicles of several lawmakers and top officials of the NASS are frequently clamped for disregarding the rule. Olaifa is a member of the Accord Party representing Oluyole Federal Constituency.
His political aides immediately crowded the FRSC official, claiming that there was no intention to park the car in the security area.
His aides punched and shoved Jerry mercilessly in front of the lobby in the presence of the lawmaker.
When the beating became too much for the FRSC official, he ran into the lobby, seeking help from policemen and other security officials.
Olaifa’s aides ran after the official, shouting, “Thief, thief, thief.”
The aides caught up with Jerry, punched him the more and got some buttons removed from his uniform.
They were about to drag him out of the lobby, insisting he must unlock the clamp when a plainclothes female police officer came to his rescue.
“Stop, stop,” she ordered the aides.
It was at this point that Olaifa started telling his aides to stop the beating.
The lawmaker pointed fingers at the official, whose face had swollen up, demanding explanations for clamping his car.
Some members of the FRSC, who were alerted to the development, rushed to the lobby and took Jerry to the police unit at the National Assembly to lodge a complaint.
The same aides also rained abuses on journalists for daring to come to the scene to find out what happened.
One of the aides, a heavily built lady, tried to assault the reporters.
Olaifa threatened court action when his views were sought over the incident.
“Go and publish whatever you like; I will go to court and you will be hearing from my lawyer if it is not the truth."
“Write whatever you want to write,” he added.
The shouting at the lobby caused confusion as many staff members and security personnel rushed to the place, thinking that there was a major security scare.
When contacted, the Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Zakari Mohammed, blamed the beating on the political aides and not Olaifa.
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Law maker M̶̲̥̅γ̲̣̣̥ ass, Ђơ̴̴̴̴̴̴͡ω can ΰ claim τ̅☺ Bε̲̣̣̣̥ making law WH̲̣̣̣̥Є̲̣̥n ΰ α̲̅я̩̥̊ε̲̣̣̣̥ lawless urself
ReplyDeleteGod will judge. No wonder Obasanjo said the are all rogues.
ReplyDeleteWell, this should not surprise us, after all; the house is an assortment of rogues. Obasanjo said it and Pat Utomi reechoed it, now the one of the law breakers confirmed it. Until all those rogues our political scene , we will know no democracy.
ReplyDeleteOLAIFA or wateva your name is, you are a disgrace to oluyole constituency.....for God's sake you're supposed to be a role model to the upcoming youth........i say this today,you will never go scott free in Jesus Name..............
ReplyDeleteThe "CLOCK" is ticking very fast. Be at peace with your God and let His will be done.
ReplyDeleteDo not blame the lawmaker and his Aid's who came from Ibadan because an average Ibadan man is a thug.
ReplyDeleteThe will all perish for nothing, God will juge alot of things.
ReplyDeleteIt is a pity the person making laws is breaking them. Shame on you.
ReplyDeleteYoruba says "Enu agba ni Obii gbo si". When Obasanjo said they are all rogues some people without thinking of good things OBJ did for Nigeria were insulting him.
Stop ethnicity so that Nigeria can go up!!!!
I believe Mr. Zakari Mohammed has decided to be solicit for Mr. Olaifa. may be, he is now a politician himself. He does not need to be told that the aides were acting in the presence of their boss and that their boss would have called them to order if he was not in support of their action. I believe that the FRSC operative should institute a legal action against them immediately. Lessons must be learnt from this, so that it will serve as deterrent to others.
ReplyDeleteIncidents like this really make me hate identifying with this country...what kind of uncouth and wicked behavior is this? The ban on indiscriminate parking I am sure was made for security reasons of which you (Olaifa) are a beneficiary, and yet you choose to disregard it... Please isn't there something wrong with some people? How I wish a security breach would occur (someone parking a bomb-laden car on that same spot) and this buffoon of a 'lawmaker' affected...
ReplyDeleteAnonymous @7:59.
ReplyDeleteYou are so myopic in thinking . I can't believe that a well to do Nigerian can open is mouth in public media and label Ibadan indigene as thug .
I was helpless wen i came across your stupid comment bcos today or tomorrow it can be used as reference to tarnish somebody image from that region .
Why not stop ethnicity and religion bigotry in this country .
What lawmaker did was bad ,however , region should not be bases for condemning any stupid act in this country .
I will advise you to read beyond four wall of your locality in order for you to develop mentally.
Kindly read on how to post moderate comment in public media .
TAKE IT OR YOU LEAVE IT , WE DON'T NEED YOUR "NO 6 " FOR NOW IN THIS COUNTRY.
It is time for Nigerians to vote these people out of office. A simple vote of no confidence from his constituency should remove him from office. What is the Law and who is a Lawmaker? A thug for a Lawmaker? Is Nigeria lacking good Lawmakers or is anyone afraid to ease these people out of office? Let the FRSC react otherwise more of their officers will be maltreated. I cry for Nigeria.
ReplyDeleteOBJ justified!All of them are the same. Area boys, thugs, rogues, armed robbers, 419ers, name it...One "Honorable" opened his dirty mouth in reaction to the former President's accusations by making an DISHONOURABLE presentation which propelled the speaker to quickly toss the matter to the house committee on ethics. My opinion is simple: Nigerian law makers are the worst in the whole wide world
ReplyDeleteLawmakers should live by examples
ReplyDeleteYou have all spoken well.I sympathize with the Law Maker, FRSC Officer and Nigeria as a whole.
ReplyDeleteAll the above comments are acceptable.
What has just happened is a product of Bad Governance and Bad institution.
We need to instill discipline in our so called law makers.
As for the FRSC officer I will say keep it up, as long as you are doing your job, one day you will get your reward....
GOD BLESS NIGERIA............