Wanted Plateau Speaker submits self to police
From Isa Abdulsalami,
Jos
AT exactly 2.40 p.m. yesterday, the wanted Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Mr. Simon Lalong, drove into the headquarters of the state police command to submit himself to the security agents.
Lalong, who was declared wanted on Monday by the state police command, was accompanied by six of his colleagues and the counsel to the House of Assembly, Mr. Okey Akobundu.
But the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Joseph Apapa, did not show up to Lalong as he was said to be at the Officers' Mess with all his officers holding a meeting.
His lady secretary asked the Speaker and his entourage to wait while she made contacts to inform the Commissioner of Lalong's presence.
After about 40 minutes, the secretary came to the waiting room where she told the Speaker that the Police Commissioner sent apology that he could not come.
Before the Speaker departed, he spoke with journalists who had converged at the police headquarters.
He said: "I have come to submit myself to the police as I read in the newspapers that I was declared wanted by the state police command. I was in London when I read on the Internet that I was a wanted person.
"I was really shocked because they were all informed that I was travelling out, I was sick and I had to go for medical attention. So, when I finished, I came back. I came back yesterday.
"I informed my lawyer. That is why I come in today. It is quite unfortunate only to come back to hear that it was a mistake that he (Police Commissioner) declared me wanted and that he had sent an apology."
Lalong said he was going to discuss the issue with his lawyer to know the next line of action to take.
According to him, the scenario is not unconnected with the court case about their suspension over the declaration of emergency rule in the state.
He said he had received several threat letters asking him to withdraw the case from court, adding: "This is one of the intimidations to force us to take the matter out of court."
Lalong said that as a lawyer, he thought the only legitimate way of seeking redress for a wrong done was through the court of law.
"And if by seeking redress in a court of law, somebody is using authority or force to intimidate us, I am not intimidated in any way.
"But I deserve a public apology because my lawyer is going to write to them and they will reply, otherwise I know the next step to take," he said.
According to the Speaker, the threats to withdraw the case are coming from those who have been clamouring for that immediately the case was filed in the court.
Lalong said that while the administrator was trying to restore peace to the state, "what is happening in Plateau today is beyond peace, it is now a political crisis, some people have introduced political crisis."
The Speaker vowed that since he is still representing his people and has their mandate, he would not yield to cheap intimidation.
Lalong said that the threats were not unlikely to come from the Deputy Senate President, Alhaji Ibrahim Mantu.
His words: "In the first place, the Deputy Senate President has asked us to withdraw the case. We went to him and he said we should withdraw the case. And also the elders in Plateau State are asking us to withdraw the case. Because we are still in court, no negotiation, nothing.
"Nobody has come for negotiation, they are saying we should withdraw the case, why are they asking us to withdraw the case"
He said he left his contact address with the Sole Administrator before he travelled, adding that his relations, especially wife and children were around.
"It was pure lie for anybody to say he looked for me and could not find me," he said.
As at the time of filing this report, the commissioner of police has not returned from the officers' mess where he was having a meeting with all his men.
