The National Assembly may be facing serious security risk, as suspicious faces now flood the complex, an investigation has shown.
A source said if no serious action was not taken by the National Assembly management to curtail the influx of the strange faces, it might prove difficult to nip in the bud the security threats they pose.
It was gathered that the strange and suspicious faces find their ways into the complex, claiming to be constituents of some lawmakers, after beating security checks at the gates and other entry points.
Fears are also being raised that in the last few days, the entire National Assembly had been overshadowed by strange persons dressed in funny looking attires.
Consequently and as part of moves to address this, a security sub-committee put in place by the Clerk of the National Assembly, Mohammed Ataba Sani Omolori, has recommended that an arms-bearing elite force be established for the National Assembly.
The Director, Public Affairs, Yahaya Dan-Zaria, who was contacted, expressed fears, worries and concerns, saying steps were being taken to address the situation.
A top-ranking official of the National Assembly when contacted said: “Yes, we have this dangerous intelligence reports that the National Assembly may be a victim of terrorists’ attack and we are not joking with it.
”Several steps are being taken but many stakeholders are not showing the needed co-operation. The way strange and very suspicious-looking persons throng the National Assembly complex in recent times is worrisome.
”The situation has overstretched security architecture in the Assembly. Many of them, if confronted at the gates, are quick to resort to claims of being constituents of one lawmaker or the other. The point must be made that the National Assembly is not a place to meet constituents or have any form of ceremony with them.
”It is a place for serious legislative businesses bordering on the country’s socio-political and economic life. Again, the point must be made that the kind of persons who now seat as members of both chambers of the National Assembly are such that command security attention.
”They are people who had held very prominent and sensitive positions at various levels in the recent past. Having occupied such positions meant more security burden on the National Assembly to forestall eventuality of any sort”
Recall that prior to the end of 2019, a 12-member ad-hoc committee was set up to work out some remedial measures for the National Assembly.
It was headed by the Sergeant-at-arms, Brigadier-General Mohammed Sani Danwalis, retd.
The committee made some recommendations that have not been taken into consideration.
Other recommendations of the security committee were rationalization of banks and other business outfits whose operations are neither incidental nor complementary to the functions of the National Assembly; that leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives should prevail on legislators to submit themselves to security checks, especially at the point of entry into the National Assembly.
