By Olugbenga Salami
President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio on Wednesday mandated the Committee on Special Duties to investigate the alleged invasion of the National Assembly Complex by operatives of the Department of State Service, DSS due to impeachment threat against the principal officers by some aggrieved lawmakers as widely reported in the social media.
This was even as Akpabio, who said his attention was drawn to the matter while plenary was going on, denied the allegations, describing them as fake.
He urged the committee, chaired by Senator Shehu Kaka (APC Borno Central) to urgently carry out the investigation and report back within 24 hours.
The Senate President lamented that fake news was gradually taking over the media space.
“There no limit to what online publications can do, this is total fake news and the impeachment of principal officers did not arise and we are all here in the National Assembly without any controversial issues.
“I learnt that they could click an AI and news will start trending to drive traffic and I am sure the traffic for this fake news is massive by now,” Akpabio stressed.
Social media was occupied on Wednesday with the news that the DSS operatives have taken over the National Assembly amid speculations of an impeachment move against the Senate President and certain principal officers.
There were reports that some aggrieved Northern Senators, not satisfied with the performance of President Bola Tinubu, are the ones behind the alleged impeachment move.
Certain social media (name withheld) first reported that DSS operatives dressed in dark-colored suits, wearing intimidating dark shades, were stationed at the main entrance to the second gate and all entrances within the National Assembly Complex.
The Senate President described the story as fake, more so when the majority of the lawmakers were in the chamber performing their legislative duties as at the time the news was flying, but however, referred the matter to the Committee on Special Duties for investigation.