By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

For an ordinary Nigerian, it is a taboo to attempt to overtake the convoy of any government official even if the road is free to accommodate many vehicles. This mentality which was inherited from military rule has become a norm even without any legislative backing and attempt for motorists to do otherwise attracts the wrath of the overzealous security personnel in the convoy.

However, it was a different ball-game on April 20, 2016 at the National Assembly complex when the convoy of the former Comptroller-General of Nigerian Prisons Service, Peter Ekpendu had believed that it was business as usual decided to descend on the member representing Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency of Delta State, Evangelist Joan Mrakpor, who having closed for the day’s activities was also heading home.

With Ekpendu’s convoy in its militaristic mood and Mrakpor rushing for a divine appointment, something was bound to give way.

How Mrakpor’s vehicle confronted Ekpendu’s convoy remains a matter of dispute but what happened was that the legislator’s vehicle was alleged to have refused to make way for the prison CG’s convoy prompting an officer in the convoy, an Assistant Comptroller-General of Prisons, Usman Shehu Kangiwa, to bang on the door of the legislator.

As the melee went on, an Inspector and a more junior officer to the Comptroller, Idaa Odey, in a manner to protect his boss from any suspected insult, allegedly attempted to or slapped the lawmaker.

Rep. Mrakpor

This development did not go down well with the House, which on the next day’s sitting ordered the immediate appearance of the Comptroller General, Ekpendu and the Minister of Interior Abdulrahman Danbazzau over the alleged physical assault on their colleague.

The lawmakers equally compelled the House of Representatives Committee on Interior to investigate the matter and report to the House on Tuesday 26th April 2016.

Ekpendu, who was about proceeding on retirement when the incident happened eventually appeared before the committee and said that though he had gone out as at the time the incident took place, that he had decided to take responsibility for the actions of his officers.

The Jagaba Adams-led committee was told that the Comptroller General of Prisons had already left the gate where the incident took place with the pilot and the back-up cars.

Testifying before the Committee, Rep Mrakpor, who introduced herself as a television evangelist said that before she approached the gate that there was a long convoy of SUVs made up of Prado Jeeps and that she told her driver to overtake the convoy.

She said that just close to the exit gate, two vehicles she had overtaken stopped and suddenly the occupants of the vehicle started banging on her vehicle which made her ask what the harassment at the National Assembly was all about.

She said, “when I wound down, the person by my right said, you useless prostitute and slapped me, then I came down. The man who hit my vehicle told me don’t you know it is the convoy of the Comptroller General.”

She also said that security agents at the gate were against her and that one police lady went to her Orderly to tell him to tellthe Honourable not to enter any convoy.

“I have been a politician and been holding offices since 1999. Every day you get assaulted, but for the assault of a prison officer, I am yet to find out my offence, you either allow a person to overtake the convoy or you stop the person,” the lawmaker who was betrayed by her emotions during the public hearing said.

The Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in charge of the National Assembly and a Chief Superintendent of Police, CSP, Nancy Ajakuna in her testimony said going by the report before her, the security agents did not observe any physical assault as according to her, they said they only heard from the lawmaker saying ‘you hit me in the face’.

The representatives of Department of State Services, DSS, the Sergeant-at-arms and other police officers on duty at the time the incident took place told the committee that they never witnessed any slap from the Prisons officers.

However, an officer of the Sergeant-at-Arms at the gate, Chike Igbo who claimed to have witnessed the confusion at the gate said he was there when the prison’s personnel pointed his hand on the face of the lawmaker and her pair of glasses fell.

Pilot and back-up cars

The CG, who came with his Deputy Comptroller Generals, said that he was not at the venue of the incident when it took place as he had already driven out with his pilot and back-up cars but only heard of the incident when he went to see the Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC.

He said, “I do not tolerate indiscipline. I am ashamed of what happened; I am never associated with such. I have a wife and a mother, the act is barbaric, embarrassing and runs contrary to my belief.”

He said that the officer involved in the incident would face disciplinary measures according to the Act establishing the Prisons even as he read the query he had already issued to the officers involved in the alleged assault.

Presenting the report of its investigations, Rep. Jagaba said during the consideration of the report at plenary that, from the testimonies of six credible witnesses, the committee established beyond reasonable doubt that SIP Idaa Odey assaulted Rep. Mrakpor and therefore, guilty of contravening the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, 2004.

Although, when it appeared that it was only the Inspector was going to face punitive measure, the House Leader, Gbajabiamila was furious on the recommendation of the dismissal of the Inspector, while the ACGP, who allegedly started the crisis by coming down from his vehicle to bang on the vehicle of the lawmaker which made the Inspector carry out his action, was left off the hook.