By Luka Binniyat
The  City Royal Academy, Nyanya, Abuja,  a small size secondary school with blue and white walls enclosing neat flower beds besides the bustling main street,  had a very important visitor last Monday morning.

He stood there  on the School Assembly ground addressing them in white caftan and cap flanked by Staff of the School and his aides. The jubilant students listened  with rapt attention as excited cameramen clicked away with relish, and reporters furiously took down jottings.

Curious passers-by gaped through the gate of the school at the unusual visitor. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, had come to apologise to the students, over a bizarre incident that had taken place in the chamber of the National Assembly two weeks earlier.

That sad Tuesday, around 11am, scores of  these gleeful school pupils made their ways up to the visitors gallery of the House of Representatives. They  had taken the front row and sat watching below  what they had been told by the teachers, as one of the most important and privileged places  to be in Nigeria.

The kids had  looked in awe and reverence at the dais where Speaker Bankole, in his white agbada and white cap, sat like a Judge in an usually huge court of law. The members had been seated, clad  mostly in flowing gowns and  suits, just the way they had  expected politicians to dress.

Most of the kids must have been proud and elated  to come to a place, so hallowed, so sanctified with so many important looking “uncles” and “aunties”. The proceedings of the House  had started  well with no foreboding of what to come Everywhere had been calm. But not for long.

Then suddenly, Rep Dino Melaye  had sprang to his feet and walked through the Green chamber.. The piecing shrill voice of Rep Doris Uboh on her part, could be heard above the other voices in the chamber, as she  had kept saying, “follow due Process, follow due process” Shortly after, Dino had  brought out a whistle which he blew, ostensibly to inform his men that it was time for what might have been planned.

He had then moved towards at Rep. Chile Igbawua, who the Speaker had allowed to move a motion that would lead to the suspension of Dino and members of his Progressives Minded Legislators (PML).

The group had a week earlier, called for the resignation of the Speaker, accusing him of mismanagement and theft of N9 billion House Fund in 2009. He later circulated documents to the press as evidence of his allegation, which the leadership of the House had described as laughable accusations with no substance.

With a swift swing, Dino had snatched the motion paper that Igbawua was reading and shredded it into tiny pieces. Meanwhile, at the other end of the corner, a brawl had ensured between  Rep Chinyere Igwe (a supporter of Bankole) and Rep Austin Nwachukwu.

Nwachukwu broke the right arm of Igwe with one left foot chop_kick. He later brought out a canister of teargas to spray on his “enemies” who had started crowding around him menacingly.

As he reached  for his “weapon” in his trouser, one Rep jumped on him. He was overpowered, beaten up the way a dangerous snake is beaten before being killed. He was then stripped literally naked and beaten the more.  Afterwards, he was thrown out of the chamber.

At that time, Rep Solomon  Awhinawhin had also made a dash at the mace. But the Sergeant-at-Arms, Col. Emeka Okere (rtd.), and his men had formed a barricade around the legislative sacred symbol of authority. This had prompted Bankole’s men to rush at Ahwhinawhin. He stood right there and replied them punch-for-punch several minutes before he was overwhelmed.

He was also thrown out of the chamber with a bleeding nose and swollen eyes. The kids had watched with horror as the chamber became a den of hooliganism. The little ones were so frightened, they ran and embraced their teachers trying to avoid seeing more of the violence.

Rep Bitrus Kaz was also descended upon. By the time Bankole’s men were through with him, he was bleeding from the mouth, his clothes looking as if it had been  passed through a shredding machine before he was also dragged to the  main exit and thrown out.

But, it was Melaye that got the most battery. A bully man, he snatched the first Bankole man that came at him and brought him down with blows on his temple. He jumped on another, but then a Rep from the South-South, gave him a savage bite on his belly, and blood was oozed out to smear the milk coloured dress he was wearing. By that time, a mob had formed around him, punching, kicking and tearing at him.

He fell two more with his kicks. But in the end he succumbed to large numbers fighting him. Someone kicked him on his rips and he buckled down. More blows and kicks on his heads totally subdued him. His clothes were shredded and he was also dragged and thrown out of the chamber too.

The only female voice among them also suffered the same fate.

The kids could have fled, but the violence had trapped them after it quickly  spread up to the Press Gallery. One ASP Danjuma, the Chief body guard of the Speaker had mobilised his men to beat up a Journalist protecting Vanguard Photojournalist, Gbemiga Olamikan  who was taking shots of the free for all fight. As his colleagues tried to defend him, they were brutalised by the armed men. But, the Reps offered an apology later to the Press.

After about thirty 30 minutes of showdown, the chamber became calm as law and order was restored.

But, by then the kids had “escaped” from the scene of the war, probably never to return.

The very motion that provoked the melee was eventually heard, and the following Reps were  eventually suspended:  Rep. Dino Melaye, Anas Adamu, Ehiogie West-Idahosa, and Independence Ogunewe.

Other were Rep Solomon Awhinawhin,  Austin Nwachukwu, Gbenga Oduwaiye,  Gbenga Onigbogi, Kayode Amusan, Bitrus Kaze; and Rep. Doris Uboh

Bankole had visited the students, to apologise over the incident.

“I want to use this time to apologise to you over what happened”, he told his young audience, “It should not have happened”, he said.

“Let me explain to you why it happened”, he started.

“It happened because some of us decided not to obey our set down rules”, he said,

“In every society, and in every organisation, there are rules that guide people”, he said. “Just as there are rules in this school”, he said.

“If you take the law into your hands, then you face the consequences”, he said.

“And this is the best time to start learning to respect rules before going out to join the larger society, otherwise you may end up just like you saw that day”, he said,

“I therefore want to apologise once again, and to beg you to return and watch our proceedings in our normal session”, he said.