NASS No More Safe, Benjamin Kalu Cries Out As Hoodlums Break Into His Office

The member representing Bende Federal Constituency and the Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Benjamin Kalu, has lamented the spate of insecurity in and around the National Assembly Complex as burglars broke into his office during the lockdown.

Kalu, while lamenting the incident at his office on Tuesday, said members of the National Assembly were no longer safe to carry out their legislative duties.

The lawmaker, who is representing Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State, said he was shocked when he found out on Tuesday morning that his office had been burgled.

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Kalu said he had asked his aides to report the incident to the Sergeant-At-Arms and other security bodies at the National Assembly, while he would interface with the House Committees on Police Affairs and Internal Security.

He said, “It is actually surprising to see that somebody broke into my office. We are still trying to assess (the situation) to know what the intention of breaking into my office was. Was it to take an important document out or to check if we are leaving money or any valuables in the office, or to plant any security or spying device? Honestly, I don’t know but I have asked my aides to register it with the Sergeant-At-Arms.

“I am sure the police here will do their investigation and find out what actually happened. It is scary to come into your office and find this. This is one of the consequences of COVID-19 when we are not sitting every day. The time we were sitting every day, we never experienced this. So, hoodlums are beginning to see this also as an opportunity to break into people’s offices.

“We can’t pin it down, whether it was just breaking in for stealing or breaking in to spy on what the National Assembly is doing through my office. But whatever it is, I am sure the security agencies will get to the root of it. The National Assembly is no longer safe.

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“For my office to be broken into, as the spokesperson for the House, I need to speak out so that people will know. The committee in charge of security needs to step up their game.

“I am going to immediately get in touch with those who are in charge of that committee to see what they are doing about situations of this nature. It is actually shocking. It means that we are not safe to do our job.

“My aide arrived this morning after dropping me at the chamber and I walked in here now to see this. The door to my personal office cannot close. It is open. It is unsafe and we need to secure it today to avoid anything happening after this time.”