Police Restore Meranda’s Security Details, cites Personnel Audit as Reason for Initial Withdrawal

There were initial worries over a suspected conspiracy to force the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mojisola Meranda, to resign when her security details were withdrawn yesterday without any prior notice.

However, police authorities in Lagos have cleared the air and restored the security details attached to the speaker, stating that they were merely conducting a personnel audit.

Reports about the withdrawal of her security details on Thursday made the news after one of her aides raised the alarm, which led to heightened tension in the Lagos Assembly speakership tussle.

The Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Moshood Jimoh, cited personnel audit as the reason for the withdrawal while he confirmed the return of the Speaker’s security details.

He said on Thursday evening.“ As I speak with you, the audit of the police personnel attached to Hon. Mojisola Meranda has been completed, and the police personnel attached to her from the Lagos State Police Command have been returned to her for her protection.”

“It is pertinent to state that the ongoing police personnel audit has been on for several days now, and prominent personalities and individuals have been complying with the process. The exercise, once again, is not aimed or targeted at any individuals,” the commissioner told the gathering.

The withdrawal of Meranda’s security aides added a fresh twist to the Lagos State Assembly crisis. The Apapa lawmaker had replaced Mudashiru Obasa as the speaker of the assembly after the latter was accused of impropriety.

Coincidentally, on Thursday, Obasa stepped into the Lagos Assembly complex with some of his supporters and insisted he is still the speaker of the House.

At the entrance of the Assembly, his supporters were heard chanting solidarity songs for the Agege I Constituency lawmaker.

He insisted while speaking to the media that he was never removed. He added that impeachment or removal is democratic and constitutional, but in doing that, you must follow the due process.

“I am not against that. If I do that, then I am not democratic,” Obasa insisted.

However, some Lagos lawmakers loyal to Meranda rejected Obasa’s insistence and argued that Meranda remains the speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

Mudashiru Obasa, however, claimed that Mojisola Meranda agreed to resign as the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly during a peace meeting.

“There was a meeting that took place in Marina where we had in attendance all the party leaders and all the members [of Lagos Assembly] and openly Meranda herself made a statement that she has stepped down and she has resigned,” Obasa said.

He was responding to the withdrawal of Meranda’s security aides by police authorities in Lagos. Obasa said since she had agreed to resign, it was right for her security details to be withdrawn.

“So, when you resign from an office, you know, the paraphernalia of office will be taken away now,” Obasa who represents Agege 1 Constituency asserted.