Tension and chaos gripped the Anambra State House of Assembly when a group of four armed men, believed to be affiliated with the Department of State Services (DSS), made an apparent effort to forcefully remove Mr. Onyekachukwu Ike, the member-elect for Nnewi North constituency. The incident occurred shortly after Ike had participated in a valedictory thanksgiving mass held in honor of the outgoing seventh Assembly.
Arriving at the Assembly complex in a convoy of three vehicles, the armed men swiftly seized the member-elect, leaving the Acting Clerk of the Assembly, Mrs. Esther Aneto, and other senior staff astonished and aggrieved by the lack of prior information provided by the suspected DSS operatives. Even the police personnel stationed at the Assembly were caught off guard by the sudden turn of events.
One of the alleged DSS operatives offered an explanation, claiming that they possessed a court order authorizing the arrest of the member-elect. Ignoring any protests or objections, they forcefully escorted Ike into one of their vehicles, intending to make their escape through the Assembly complex’s exit gate.
Fortunately, the swift action of the security personnel at the scene prevented the armed men from leaving the premises. Sensing the gravity of the situation, Speaker Dr. Uche Okafor and Deputy Governor Dr. Onyeka Ibezim, who was present on behalf of the Governor at the Valedictory session, intervened to secure the release of the member-elect.
Finally, Ike was freed from the clutches of his captors, bringing the alarming incident to an end.
