The Cross River State House of Assembly gate was on Tuesday barricaded by heavily armed policemen preventing workers of the Assembly and lawmakers, who were sacked on Monday by a Federal High Court in Abuja, from gaining access into the assembly complex.
The barricade followed the court decision where it sacked 20 lawmakers of the state and federal lawmakers from retaining their seats for defecting from the PDP, a party which gave the lawmakers mandate, to another party, APC.
In reaction to the sealing of the State Assembly complex, Cross River State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Irene Ugbo, stated that the purpose of the barricade was to prevent hoodlums from taking advantage of the situation to cause trouble and vandalise government property.
Ugbo stated that the action was in adherence to the Abuja Federal High Court judgement, where the court said it has sacked 20 lawmakers of the Assembly.
“Nothing is happening, we are just protecting the government’s property. We are doing that in respect of the pronouncement of the Abuja Federal High Court yesterday.
“So in order to stabilise the area, some people in a situation like this will agree while some will disagree, and some miscreants may want to invade the place, so we are just ensuring law and order, to stabilise the place, that’s all,” the PPRO said.
The security operatives comprised of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Mobile Policeman, Anti-Kidnapping and Cultism Squad among others stationed their vehicles outside the gate of the State Assembly’s gate.
The police armoured personnel carrier was seen parading the entire street of Leopard Road which harbours the Cross River State governor’s office and the State House of Assembly.
No worker nor lawmaker was seen going to work due to the presence of heavily armed police squad.
Although the police did not stop any of the workers at the Governor’s office from entering the their office to carry out their work.
