There was tension at the Abia State House of Assembly on Tuesday as operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) allegedly assaulted a policeman attached to the Assembly.
The altercation, which nearly escalated into a free-for-all fight, saw other policemen rushing to defend their colleague, leading to a heated standoff between the two security agencies.
According to an eyewitness who spoke with Vanguard, the confrontation began when four DSS personnel stationed at the entrance of the Assembly accosted a staff member who had momentarily stopped a vehicle to drop off a passenger.
The DSS operatives reportedly questioned the driver for stopping in front of the Assembly, citing an existing directive barring vehicles from halting at the location.
However, a policeman attached to the Assembly intervened, attempting to explain that the driver in question was also a staff member of the House of Assembly.
This intervention reportedly angered the DSS operatives, who abandoned the driver and attacked the policeman.
“They Pounced On Him” – Eyewitnesses
An eyewitness who spoke to Vanguard described the scene: “The DSS personnel immediately pounced on the policeman and beat him up. They questioned why he came to defend the staff member. The policeman was only trying to explain the situation before he was assaulted.”
The situation quickly escalated, as other policemen stationed at the Assembly came to their colleague’s defense, creating a chaotic scene at the legislative complex.
The tension was eventually diffused by a senior DSS officer, who arrived at the scene and called his men to order.