JUST IN: ‘Cache of arms’ discovery in Lagos speaker’s office, to tarnish my image – Obasa
By NAN
The immediate past speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa says the allegation of sudden discovery of “cache of arms ammunition” in the speaker’s office on Tuesday is as an attempt to tarnish his image.
Obasa, a six-term lawmaker, made this known in a statement he personally signed in Lagos on Thursday, saying that the allegation against him was nothing but an afterthought.
Some online publications reported that the Assembly on Tuesday had uncovered a significant cache of arms in the office of the ousted speaker, Mudashiru Obasa.
The online publications report that cache of arms, according to several online media, includes pump action numbering about 47, and live cartridges neatly kept somewhere within the Speaker’s office space.
It was reported that the discovery, according to the online report, led to an immediate notification of the DSS, who in turn sent in their men to take inventory of the arms while investigation is scheduled for the development.
Reacting to the allegation, Obasa, a three-term speaker, said from the foregoing, it was obviously discerning that his traducers were attempting to call a dog a bad name just to hang it.
The former speaker said the allegation against him was devoid of any logic and dead on arrival.
He said: “My attention has been drawn to a viral hatchet but lazy journalistic story with above title and purportedly authored on Feb. 18.
“The ill-conceived story, apart from being a complete concoction, clearly exposes its author and paymasters as maliciously of low intelligent quotient.
“The story was only out to maligned my hard earned reputation spanning decades of political leadership and legislative hard work.
“In their haste to criminally defame my person, their laughable story, an outright abuse of social media platforms, left so many gaps, with apparent questions begging for answers.
“The story claimed phantom sources in the assembly and also revealed that the discovery came “a day after an uproar occasioned by the presence of the DSS in the assembly complex.”
Obasa said the dutiful DSS involvement, again at their voluntary invitation, would definitely unravel those behind his incessant blackmail since their sponsored story claimed their ‘discovery’ had been reported for immediate action.
He said yet they unabatedly keep sniffing around for non existent facts to blackmail him.
NAN reports that on Jan. 13,, the speakership crisis erupted following the removal of the immediate past speaker, Mudashiru Obasa over alleged financial impropriety and gross misconduct.
Obasa was immediately replaced by his Deputy, Mojisola Meranda while Fatai Mojeed became the Deputy Speaker.
Obasa on Friday had approached the Lagos Hight Court to challenge his removal by his colleagues.
However, chaos erupted at the Assembly on Monday as lawmakers and staff clashed with DSS personnel upon their arrival.
The Assembly complex was shut for several hours before legislative staff forced open the chamber’s doors, resuming activities under tense circumstances.
In a statement issued later, the Assembly condemned the presence of armed DSS operatives, stating it undermined its sanctity and obstructed lawmakers from performing their duties.
