The National Council for Women Societies has condemned the invasion of the National Assembly by some political thugs, describing the incident as a tarnish on the image of the Senate.
Gloria Shoda, President of NCWS in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja, said the action was a threat to democracy and the unity of Nigeria.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that on April 18, the Senate plenary was disrupted after suspected thugs invaded the chamber and made away with the mace.
The incident was said to have happened few seconds after a suspended Senator Ovie Omo-Agege entered the chamber.
According to Shoda, for thugs to defy security arrangement of the National Assembly and perpetrate the desecration, goes to show the porousness of the nation security system.
Shoda noted that if thugs could invade the Senate, it means that nowhere in this country was safe.
She called for the launch of full investigation into the incident and full prosecution of anyone found to be complicit in it.
Shoda said that there appeared to be an institutional conspiracy for the thugs to beat the tight security at the National Assembly.
She said: “This ugly development is capable of creating serious crisis than what we already have and every woman should stand to condemn this act.’’
The council also condemns the beating of a female security officer who was on her legitimate, by the suspected thugs.
Shoda said “It is a shame that the thugs extended their barbaric act to a woman on duty.”
She called on the Federal Government and the security agencies to find out those involved in this “shameful act of assaulting woman”.
Shoda added: “Violence against women must not be tolerated in a society and perpetrators must face the full wrath of the law. Women’s rights are human rights.”
NCWS condemns invasion of Senate Chambers
