Commotion As DSS Operatives Go After Seniors Senate Staff, Crowd Gather To Stop Them

Chaos erupted at the National Assembly in Abuja on Friday as Department of State Service (DSS) operatives forcibly detained two senior staff members.

The incident unfolded when John Nnadi of the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) and Chris Odoh, a Deputy Director, encountered resistance while attempting to pass through the gate connecting the Senate’s new building and the White House.

According to eyewitnesses, Nnadi and Odoh presented their ID cards, but the DSS personnel demanded further identification, leading to a confrontation. Despite attempts to calm the situation, the DSS escalated the altercation by physically manhandling the staff.

Efforts to intervene proved futile as additional DSS personnel joined in, forcibly escorting Nnadi and Odoh to their office within the National Assembly Complex. The commotion attracted attention from bystanders, including staff from neighboring offices such as the United Bank for Africa (UBA), Senate Committee on Public Accounts, and journalists from the Senate Press Centre.

In response to the alarming situation, aggrieved National Assembly staff, including the Mace bearer from the Senate, gathered in front of the DSS office, demanding the release of their colleagues. The tense standoff prompted the swift arrival of the National Assembly’s Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Alex Annagu, and Deputy Clerk to the Senate (Legislative), Mrs. Ilobah Isabella, who intervened to restore calm and resolve the issue.