The Controller-General of Prisons, Dr. Peter Ekpendu, has denied the alleged assault and battering of a female lawmaker, Onyemaechi Mrakpor, by his aides within the National Assembly complex.
The House of Representatives on Thursday unanimously adopted a motion by Minority Leader, Leo Ogor, seeking to summon Mr. Ekpendu to appear before its Committee on Interior, to explain why he should not be committed to prison for the action by his men, while allegedly “he sat in his car watching”.
Mrakpor is the member representing Aniocha (North and South)/Oshimili (North and South) federal constituencies of Delta State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Reacting to the allegation, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Prisons Service, Francis Enobore, in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday, explained that Ekpendu was at the National Assembly complex with just four vehicles, not 20 as reported in a section of the media, adding that the fracas with the lawmaker took place at the security post of the outer gate.
Mr. Enobore further explained that it is necessary to establish what transpired before apportioning blames, noting that the incident was being investigated by the police.
The statement read, “It is important to state that whereas it is true that the Controller-General was at the National Assembly on the invitation of a Committee to attend to some official issues with some of his staff, neither the pilot car in front of him nor his official car had any confrontation with anyone. He went there with 4 cars and not 20 as alleged.
“However, since it is alleged that the assault took place within the precinct of the National Assembly, precisely at the security post of the outer gate with hordes of security personnel from various agencies including that of the National Assembly on duty, it is advisable to establish what actually transpired from these security officers. The matter is currently being investigated by the Police.
“The Controller-General is a peace loving and law abiding citizen of Nigeria who has never been involved in any act of bravado, impunity or hooliganism and will never encourage any form of abuse on any Nigerian including the Honourable member of the National Assembly and will not tolerate any form of indiscipline on the part of his staff”.
