An ironic twist was added to the tear-gassing last month of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal and other House members when the Divisional Police Officer attached to the National Assembly, Mr. James Ndachaba, told the ad hoc committee investigating the incident that the police officers, who tear-gassed Tambuwal were Senate President David Mark's security aides.


However, heads of other security and paramilitary agencies attached to the National Assembly were swift to counter Ndachaba's claims, saying they were not aware of Mark's security detail throwing teargas at Tambuwal.


But the DPO, who appeared before the committee on Monday insisted that he actually saw Mark's security detail, while watching a video recording of the invasion perpetrating the act.


Tambuwal and some federal lawmakers were locked out of the complex on November 20 following a futile attempt to stop him from gaining entry into the National Assembly premises. After they eventually gained access, tear gas canisters were fired at them.
In defence of the invasion, the police had said they acted on security reports that the National Assembly would be invaded by thugs that day.


The House of Representatives had opted to reconvene from its recess on November 20 to either ratify or reject President Goodluck Jonathan's request for the extension of emergency rule in the three North-east states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.
The Senate leadership, angered by the invasion, had constituted the committee with the mandate to probe the circumstances which led to the invasion and report back in two weeks.


The investigation commenced on Monday with the DPO disclosing that the Police Commissioner in charge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Wilson Inalegwu, gave him the directive to shut the National Assembly's gate.
The committee consequently summoned Inalegwu to appear before it yesterday to explain why he gave the directive to shut down the National Assembly.