Two members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Lanre Afinni and Sylvester Ogunkelu, have been interrogated by the police regarding the ongoing leadership crisis within the Assembly, multiple sources confirmed to Chronicles Reporters on Thursday.
Ogunkelu was taken into custody, while Afinni was granted administrative bail on Wednesday due to health concerns.
The political turmoil began on January 13 when the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, was ousted and replaced by his deputy, Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, during his visit to the United States.
Following his removal, Obasa challenged the legitimacy of the process, claiming it did not follow constitutional procedures. However, the Assembly upheld its decision and warned against any actions that could escalate tensions.
According to insider sources, Ogunkelu, who represents Epe Constituency 2, and Afinni, representing Lagos Island Constituency 2, are being investigated over accusations of vandalizing government property within the Assembly chambers during the leadership change.
The two lawmakers were invited by the police to answer questions about their alleged involvement in damaging public property. Both appeared before investigators on Wednesday for questioning.
“On the day Obasa was removed, the then Clerk of the House, Barrister Lekan Onafeko, was absent, and his office was locked,” a source disclosed.
“Hon. Ogunkelu, also known as Sketel, and Hon. Afinni reportedly took charge of retrieving the mace for the sitting. In the process, they broke down a door and damaged government property to access the symbol of authority,” the source added.
Due to these actions, the police summoned both lawmakers for questioning. “As of now, Sketel remains in detention, while Afinni was released due to his health condition,” another source confirmed.
When Chronicles Reporters contacted Lagos Police Command spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin for comments, he was unavailable to take calls and had not responded to a text message as of the time of this report.
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