Stolen Senate Mace Recovered Near Abuja City Gate

The Police Thursday said they have recovered the mace of the Nigerian Senate which was taken away from the National Assembly on Wednesday morning by hoodlums.

Deputy Force Public Relations Officer Force Headquarters, Aremu Adeniran, said in a statement that the Senate’s symbol of authority was recovered at Abuja City Gate.

Aremu, an assistant superintendent in the Nigerian Police, said police teams engaged in massive raids of identified criminal spots and flashpoints, stop and search operations, visibility and intelligence gathering immediately the hoodlums took away the mace.

The quick interventions, he said, “forced the suspected miscreants to abandon the mace at a point under the flyover before the City Gate, where a patriotic passer-by saw it and alerted the Police.”

The mace was taken away from the Senate on Wednesday by persons suspected to be working for a suspended Senator, Ovie Omo-Agege.

The senator has, however, denied knowing anything about the theft of the mace. He said he was in the Senate on Wednesday morning to resume work in spite of him being suspended.

“Senator Omo-Agege today [Wednesday] resumed work and sitting with his colleagues,” a statement released by his office said, adding that “a few champions of the unconstitutional, invalid and tyrannical suspension tried to stop him but those who opposed it welcomed and protected him throughout the sitting.”