Lawmakers in the Edo State House of Assembly on Tuesday, aborted plenary following the alleged discovery of an expended gun bullet inside the main chamber of the House.
Report from Access TV Nig says, the bullet was alleged to have pierced the table of the Majority Leader of the House, Jonathan Ibhamawu Aigbokhan.
It was alleged that there was an opening in the roof of the chamber, an indication that the bullet passed through it before piercing the table of the lawmaker representing the Esan West constituency in the House.
While some described the incident as an art of stray bullet, others thought otherwise.
The Edo State Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika visited the House along with officers from the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID and personnel from the State Command of the Department of Security Service, DSS.
Speaking to newsmen, the Majority Leader of the House, Jonathan Ibhamawu said members were preparing for plenary sitting when their attention was drawn to the incident.
According to him, we were preparing for sitting today and our attention was brough to the fact that there was an incident here. So I had to call the Police. We invited the DSS.
“I think for now, we have left everything for them to investigate with a view of giving us a complete report as to what gives rise to this incident we are talking about.
So I think everybody is fine and healthy. We are eager to come out and have our sitting today, but unfortunately, because of the incident we might not be able to sit today because we want to give the chambers to the security agents to be able to comb it properly with a view of giving us a report that is satisfying to everybody.
“I think the police will properly give us reports because they came with their men, they are security experts. They are doing their work there.
“What we saw is a kind of bullet, but, I’m not an expert in that field. I’m a lawmaker. So the police will be able to say it is AK-47, AK-49 or a bomb.
But let them do their work. So when they finish, they will give us a report and properly brief the press at that time.
“But you should rest assured that everything is calm in the house. We are okay. We are not distracted. We are focused. And certainly we will come back and do our normal routine sitting when they would have finished”, he said.
Some staff of the House, especially those that have anything to do with the main chamber were, however, made to write statements.
Recalls that in March, 2010 there was a reported case of bomb scare in the same Assemby, when bomb detective experts from the Edo State Police Command uncovered an explosive device suspected to be a bomb planted in a refuse.
The device discovered by the side of the complex opposite the General Hospital mortuary was said to be capable of having an impact across 500 metres in diameter by the experts.
The device was said to have been discovered by one of the mobile policemen, guarding the complex.
The bomb experts opined that it was an un-timed bomb that could explode if ignited by fire.
It was also discovered shortly after the lawmakers’ rose from plenary sitting at about 2pm on the fateful day.
