Lawmakers of the Bauchi State House of Assembly who were attacked by hoodlums on Monday have alleged that Governor Bala Mohammed’s Special Adviser on State and National Assembly Liaison, Sani Burra, was behind the incident.
The PUNCH had reported that the crisis rocking the Bauchi State House of Assembly deepened on Monday as hoodlums attacked lawmakers and injured six of them.
The hoodlums, numbering about 50, stormed the guest house located on Sir Kashim Ibrahim road few meters away from the Bauchi State Government House, and attacked the lawmakers who were holding a meeting at about 4.00pm. Cars belonging to the lawmakers as well as windows of the guest house were damaged.
The incident happened hours after yet-to-be-identified arsonists attempted to burn down the House of Assembly complex but were prevented by security agencies who responded swiftly.
Following the incident, a combined team of security agents comprising men of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Department of State Service and the Nigerian Army, was immediately drafted to the House where they took over the complex.
Speaking to journalists at a press conference at the guest house of the lawmakers, the Deputy Minority Leader of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Baballe Dambam, representing the Dambam/Dagauda/Jalam Constituency, said the governor’s aide “sponsored” the hoodlums to attack them because of their stance to change the Speaker and other principal officers of the Assembly.
He expressed concern over the unfortunate situation, saying: “We suspect Sani Burra because the hoodlums attacked us 30 minutes after he left us at the guest house.
“The hoodlums armed with dangerous weapons vandalised the guest house and smashed the glasses of windows in the guest house. They smashed the windscreens of the lawmakers’ vehicles and injured many of them.
“Even when we are in recess we used to go to the House to carry out our normal legislative duties, we intended to go the House yesterday morning when we heard that the House of Assembly was under siege by security agents.
“We feel that whoever is behind this does not respect the law. We have every right as members of the state House of Assembly to say what we said because we have immunity on the floor of the House; that is why we have passed a vote of no-confidence on the Speaker and all Principal officers and we asked them to resign.”
He said they reported the matter to the security agencies for necessary action.
In a swift reaction, the adviser to the governor, in an interview with journalists, denied the allegation that he had a hand in the attack, describing the allegation as false.
Burra said he was at the guest house Monday morning because he was invited by one of the lawmakers, and he went there, met all of them and greeted all of them and left.
“I wish to make it abundantly clear that I am not aware or behind the purported attack,” he stated.
Last Friday, the Bauchi State House of Assembly was engulfed by a leadership crisis following the demand by 22 members who passed a vote of no-confidence on the Speaker and principal officers of the House for their ineptitude.
