Some senators on Tuesday visited Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, to solidarise with him over his travails in the hands of security agencies.
This is even as the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, raised alarm on Tuesday over the safety of Ekweremadu.
Senators Ben Murray Bruce, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Suleiman Adokwe, Philip Aduda, Dino Melaye were among the over 40 senators who visited Mr Ekweremadu.
The senators proceeded to the residence of their colleague immediately after Tuesday’s plenary.
At the time of the visit, the siege on Ekweremadu’s home had been lifted with normalcy returning to the area.
Some protesters loyal to him were seen carrying placards at the entrance of the building.
TheNiche earlier reported the security siege on Ekweremadu’s house. Security operatives from the police and the SSS mounted the siege. Evidence later emerged that he had been summoned to appear before the anti-graft agency, EFCC, today.
Meanwhile, the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, warned on Tuesday that nothing should happen to Ekweremadu.
Chief Nwodo said that the alarm had “become necessary following some disturbing reports that operatives of the state besieged his house this morning for yet undisclosed motives.”
Ohanaeze PG said that while it would not begrudge the state for doing its statutory duty, it must be within the confines of rule of law more so that the nation is in a democracy.
“In a democratic setting as ours, we expect security agencies to be civil and work within the rule of the law without breaching the civil liberty of any individual.”
Chief Nwodo said, “Senator Ekweremadu being the highest Igbo in this government is much cherished by his people and is expected that he should be accorded all the respect deserving of his position.”
He recalled that another Igbo son Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe was incarcerated for three days without any tangible reason disclosed to Nigerians till date.
“We will not want to be sentimental into believing that there are grand designs to silence and humiliate Igbo leaders at the national level who are legitimately representing their people very well but whose stance on issues is not agreeable with the ruling authorities.”
Chief Nwodo said that it would do the nation’s democracy no good if people’s liberties were continuously being curtailed by an intolerant system.
He finally warned that Ndigbo will not take kindly to any action that was intended to harass, intimidate or arrest Igbo leaders without following the due process of the law.
“If the Deputy Senate President breached any law, he should be taken to court not put under house arrest. This certainly is a bad omen for our country,” he said.