Suspected thugs on Thursday invaded the Ondo State House of Assembly complex amid ongoing impeachment proceedings against the Speaker, Hon. Olamide Oladiji, creating tension among lawmakers and workers within the legislative premises.
The incident reportedly occurred on Thursday morning as the political crisis surrounding the leadership of the Assembly continued.
Sources within the Assembly alleged that the group came from Ondo town, the constituency represented by the embattled Speaker. The claim concerning the origin of the group has, however, not been independently established.
According to accounts from staff members, the suspected hoodlums gained access to the Assembly complex and moved from one office to another, causing apprehension among workers and lawmakers.
A member of staff, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the situation was eventually brought under control following the intervention of Hon. Olajide Oguntodu, other lawmakers and security operatives.
The combined intervention of members of the Assembly and security personnel reportedly resulted in the suspected thugs being removed from the premises, after which normalcy was restored to the legislative complex.
The incident comes against the backdrop of impeachment proceedings against Oladiji, which have heightened political tension within the Ondo State legislature.
There was no immediate indication of casualties or arrests arising from the incident, while the security agencies had yet to issue a detailed public statement on the invasion as of the time of filing this report.