Udora Orizu in Abuja
The leadership of the House of Representatives, at the resumption of plenary, yesterday resolved to wade into the arrest and continuous detention of Rivers federal lawmaker Hon. Farah Dagogo in police custody.
Dagogo, who was arrested on the orders of the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, is one of the aspirants for the governorship ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
The Special Assistant to the Governor, Kelvin Ebiri, in a statement last week, had said Dagogo was declared wanted for hiring cultists to attack the PDP secretariat in Port Harcourt.
The statement reads: “The governor has hereby directed the Rivers State Police Command to arrest Hon. Farah Dagogo for hiring cultists, who stormed the PDP secretariat in Port Harcourt and disrupted the screening of aspirants for various elective positions. The police must, as a matter of urgency, arrest Farah Dagogo, wherever he is, and must be made to face prosecution.”
A day after he was declared wanted, Dagogo was arrested by the state government and had since be remanded in police custody by a magistrate court in Port Harcourt. The lawmaker was reportedly been transferred to a hospital yesterday after complaining of ailment.
Moving a motion of urgent public importance, Hon. Chisom Dike (APC, Rivers) called for an action into what he described as ‘unlawful detention of the lawmaker’.
Interjecting, the Leader of the PDP caucus, Hon. Kingsley Chinda (Rivers) citing Order 9, subsection 5 of standing rules of the House, urged the House to step down the matter because it’s not in tandem with its rules, suggesting that the caucus should meet the leadership of the house on how to manage the issue.
Ruling him out of order, the Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila called on the motion sponsor, Dike to go ahead and present the motion.
He, however, advised him to present his motion with decorum and facts only.
Moving the motion, Dike prayed on his colleagues to condemn the arrest of the lawmaker by river state government.
He also prayed on his colleagues to direct, the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba to see that the lawmaker is released immediately.
He further prayed that an ad hoc committee be set up to investigate the circumstances surrounding the arrest and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.
Shortly after presenting his motion, the Minority Leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu said the prayers is not in tandem with earlier suggestion of Hon. Chinda.
He urged the House leadership to go through diplomatic means and resolve the matter.
Reacting, the Speaker Gbajabiamila noted that it’s the court that determines guilt or not.
He, however, said, their colleague, Dagogo is entitled to bail, hence the House leadership will meet to see how to resolve the matter entirely.
The motion was thereafter amended and adopted.
The lawmakers later adjourned plenary to May 24. This is probably to enable the lawmakers hoping for reelection take part in party primaries scheduled for May 22.
