Tambuwal ‘faces arrest’ over fracas

Aminu Tambuwal, speaker of the house of representatives, could be arrested over his face-off with the police at the premises of the national assembly on Thursday.

Suleiman Abba, the inspector general of police, has reportedly ordered Tambuwal’s arrest through instructions issued to the police commands in FCT and Sokoto, his home state.

However, Abba has told TheCable this should be treated as “propaganda” in response to a question on the authenticity of the information.

Although he did not make any further comments, he had already told the media on Friday that the fracas would be investigated.

“Everybody has seen that ‎somebody was even beating somebody, ‎somebody was pushing a policeman from the car. Somebody was removing road blocks mounted by police. We have never seen this kind of thing in the whole world‎. So we will talk to you later,” he told reporters after a meeting at the presidential villa with Vice-President Namadi Sambo.

Security sources said Sambo Dasuki, the national security adviser – who was absent at the meeting – is also unhappy with the police that Tambuwal and his supporters overpowered their men to gain entrance to the chambers of the national assembly.

Tambuwal had reconvened the house in order to discuss a request sent by President Goodluck Jonathan for the extension of the state of emergency in three north-eastern states over the Boko Haram insurgency.

Security operatives, who said they were acting on a tip that some hoodlums wanted to invade the national assembly, erected a cordon to prevent Tambuwal and members of the house who are his associates from gaining entrance into the complex.

However, the speaker and other members broke through the barrier and some jumped over the fence, prompting the firing of tear gas by the police.

It is yet unclear if Tambuwal is to be arrested or would be merely invited to give his account of the incident.

Police authorities have said they do not recognise Tambuwal as the speaker because of his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

His security aides were withdrawn by the police and the Department of Sate Service (DSS) after his defection.

Tambuwal picked the APC governorship nomination form in Sokoto on Friday.