The crisis rocking the Lagos State House of Assembly took another twist on Saturday as the offices of the four embattled lawmakers were allegedly broke into and their personal belongings removed.

Sunday PUNCH learnt that a principal officer of the House led some unidentified persons to the offices when the workers were not around.
A source said the offices of the embattled Chief Whip and the Deputy Majority Leader were forcefully opened and their personal belongings removed.

He said, “We were reliably informed that the offices of the Chief Whip and the Deputy Majority Leader, were forcefully opened today (Saturday) and their belongings removed. The keys to their offices were changed so that they would no longer have access to them.’’
Offices of the removed principal officers were allegedly sealed, while the other two suspended members were never allowed access to their offices.
The House on March 9, 2020, removed two principal officers, Rotimi Abiru and Olumuyiwa Jimoh as Chief Whip and Deputy Majority Leader respectively.
It also suspended two other members, Moshood Oshun and Raheem Kazeem indefinitely from the assembly over what it described as gross misconduct, insubordination, and actions capable of destabilising the house.
One of the embattled lawmakers who spoke on condition of anonymity said he suspected foul play, alleging that the Speaker had recently changed the Chief Security Officer of the House.
The lawmaker said, “A personal assistant to the Speaker, who is a level 12 officer, was made Chief Security Officer. This is a position occupied by a level 16 officer. The Speaker designed the system to suit his plan and most of us were wondering how a level 12 officer would occupy a position for level 16.
“It is now obvious why he did it. When I heard that my office was opened, I suspected foul play. I do not know what is responsible for this because he suspended two and removed two from their positions. Why will you bring in armed thugs to prevent us from accessing our offices?’’
One of the embattled lawmakers simply said, “Someone called to inform me, I have not been there and I do not have any reaction on the matter.”
The Chairman, House Committee on Information, Security and Strategy, Tunde Braimoh, did not pick up several calls to his mobile of 9.40 pm on Saturday.
In his reaction, the media aide to the Speaker, Tolani Abati, said, “I am not aware of that and nobody has called my attention to it. Of course, today is Saturday and nobody is at work, so I do not know anything relating to that.”
The Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, recently disbanded a committee he set up to resolve the impasse in the ninth Assembly.
He also, in a March 20 memo, reconstituted the House Committees in which he named some of the embattled lawmakers as chairmen of committees.
They include Abiru (Chairman, Inter-Parliamentary Committee); Oshun Olanrewaju (Legislative Compliance); Olumuyiwa Jimoh (Central Business District); and Olatunji Oluwa (Tourism, Arts and Culture), among others.