By ‘Dotun Akintomide
The Nigerian Police has recovered the Senate’s stolen Mace on Wednesday at a flyover before the Abuja City Gate, where according to ASP Aremu Adeniran, Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters a patriotic passer-by saw it and alerted the Police.
In a statement the police said the Mace must have been dropped after sensing the security surveillance patrol put in place to arrest the hoodlums and recover the Mace.
“Sequel to the invasion of the Senate Chambers of the National Assembly, Federal Republic of Nigeria on the 18th April, 2018 by some suspected thugs who disrupted the Senate Plenary Session and carted away the Mace of the Red Chambers, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris NPM, mni, immediately instituted a high-powered Police Investigation and Intelligence Team coordinated by the IGP Monitoring Unit of the Force and further directed a total lock-down of the Federal Capital Territory with intense surveillance patrol and thorough Stop and Search Operations at various Police check-points with a view to arresting perpetrators and possible recovery of the stolen Mace.
“The Police teams engaged in massive raids of identified criminal spots/flashpoints, stop and search operations, visibility and confidence building patrols, intelligence gathering which 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.”
According to the statement, the renewed commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to guarantee protection of lives and property, Peace and Stability and sustain democracy in the country remains unequivocal and unwavering.