The House of Representatives had a rowdy session on Tuesday over the recent clashes
between members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) and the police. A member,
Mohammed Bello had said that if urgent steps are not taken to proscribe the Shiites, the
group may likely arm itself and turn a deadly group, thereby disorganizing the peaceful
coexistence in the country.
He said the police force seemed to be overwhelmed and stressed the need for improved
intelligence gathering from the security agencies to forestall the unleashing of further
mayhem.
On his part, Mr Stanley Olajide called for meaningful dialogue to tackle the problem before it
spirals out of control. Some lawmakers also called on the Executive to obey the court order to
release the leader of the Shiites for peace to reign.
The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, after the lengthy debate, put the matter to a voice vote. But
he could not clearly rule as members shouted in support and against the motion. The Speaker,
thereafter, called for an Executive session to deliberate on some sensitive areas on the issue.
On resumption of normal plenary, the house resolved to set up an ad-hoc committee to
interface with the Executive arm of government to permanently resolve the agitation of the
Shiites.
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