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N’Assembly official in police net for ‘slapping’ female senator

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N'Assembly official in police net for slapping female senator

A yet-to-be-identified ‎top official of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) is currently in police custody for allegedly slapping a serving senator and the only female principal officer of the Senate, Biodun Olujimi.

According to multiple eyewitnesses, trouble started when the official decided to ride on the same elevator with Olujimi.

In the National Assembly, there are two elevators on every floor at interval. One is reserved for lawmakers (senators and members of the House of Representatives) and another for visitors and staff of the legislative body.

It was learnt that the incident occurred when members of the Senate committee on Petroleum Downstream wanted to commence an investigative hearing into an alleged N10 trillion subsidy fraud.

The senator was on her way to the petroleum committee public hearing while the PASAN member was on his way to attend a meeting of his association.

A key eyewitness told Ripples Nigeria that the senator who was about to board the elevator questioned the staff who was already inside on why he would use the one reserved for lawmakers.

The witness who was physically present at the scene when the incident happened, added that the lawmaker instructed her police orderly to forcefully take the staff out of the elevator.

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He said while they both struggled, the orderly slapped the PASAN official in the process. He said rather than retaliate, the official instead slapped the senator who was inside the elevator while the drama lasted.

The lawmaker, it was gathered, came down from the elevator and was about to attack the staff when his colleagues stopped her and immediately took him away.

Checks by ‎Ripples Nigeria revealed that the culprit is currently in the custody of the National Assembly Police Division.

A top police officer, who spoke to Ripples Nigeria, declined to reveal the name of the staff involved in the fight.

He revealed that the senator immediately launched a formal complaint and that the official involved was thereafter invited for questioning. The officer said the culprit was still being questioned.

He did not speak further on their next plan of action. He did not also reveal if the matter will be transferred to the Force Headquarters for further investigation and possible prosecution of the official.

In the meantime, no official of PASAN has officially reacted to the development. Some officials who spoke to newsmen off record, said they were still studying the development and will respond at the appropriate time.

 

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