Abuja, Nigeria – A tense atmosphere enveloped the National Assembly on Friday as operatives from the Department of State Services (DSS) clashed with two senior legislative staff members.
This incident coincided with the announcement of the sacking of the National Assembly Clerk and 149 other staff members.
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The altercation occurred near the gate connecting the Senate’s new building to the White House section. John Nnadi, a senior staff member of the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), and Chris Odoh, a deputy director, were reportedly asked to identify themselves by the DSS operatives stationed at the gate. Witnesses stated that the staff members flashed their ID cards, but the DSS operatives demanded a more thorough identification.
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As the senior staff attempted to proceed, they were forcibly obstructed by the DSS operatives, resulting in chaos and physical assault. Eyewitnesses reported that the situation escalated as additional DSS personnel joined in, further manhandling Nnadi and Odoh.
An anonymous eyewitness recounted, “The DSS personnel forcefully dragged Nnadi and Odoh to their office within the National Assembly Complex, attracting attention from passersby and staff from nearby offices.”
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The incident drew attention from various quarters, including staff of the United Bank for Africa, Senate Committee on Public Accounts, and journalists from the Senate Press Centre. Amid appeals from the Deputy Clerk and the DPO, John Nnadi, one of the assaulted staff, demanded that the Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Alhaji Sani Magaji Tambawal, be informed of the incident.
Nnadi’s call for action was met with spontaneous support from the gathered crowd, who marched to the CNA’s office, chanting “We will not tolerate this intimidation by DSS.” Despite their efforts, the CNA was not in his office at the time, and the crowd eventually dispersed after further appeals for calm from the DPO.
The DPO urged those involved to return to their offices and for Nnadi to seek medical attention. He emphasized that gathering and chanting would not rectify any wrongdoings, but a medical examination and documentation of any injuries would help build a case.
My appeal to everyone at this point, particularly Mr. John Nnadi, is that we should all return to our offices. John Nnadi should go to the clinic for a medical check-up to assess any injury that may have been inflicted on him during the alleged physical assault,” the police chief stated.
Nnadi and Odoh proceeded to the clinic, allowing the crowd to disperse around 12:35 p.m.
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