The Edo State Police Command says it will not tolerate any act of violence by politicians or their agents in the crisis facing the Edo State House of Assembly.
Briefing the press on Friday, the State Commissioner of Police, Folusho Adebanjo, warned politicians in the State from making unguarded statements and heating up the polity.
He said the police had been informed that some politicians were arming thugs for a showdown on Monday advising them to seek redress in the court of law or political solutions to their problems.
He urged youths in the State to resist being used as thugs, as the police would take the necessary steps to curtail their activities.
Both factions of the Edo Assembly have vowed to be present at the plenary session of the House despite the court order restraining the suspended lawmakers from the premises of the State House of Assembly.
Trouble started after the House suspended four lawmakers on Monday for misconduct, but the suspended members and five other lawmakers, a minority, held a plenary on Tuesday and declared the impeachment of the speaker of the House.
However, the speaker, Uyi Igbe, obtained a court order on Wednesday, restraining the suspended lawmakers from the premises of the State house.
The Chief of Staff to the Edo State Government, Mr Patrick Obahiagbon, on Wednesday described the purported move by minority members of the Edo State House of Assembly to impeach the speaker, as a cabaret show, having all the trappings of Legislative infamy.
He condemned the act, saying “it is a show of shame and ignominy that should not be condoned by all”.
He said that the members that had declared to the world that they had impeached the speaker of the house and some members lacked the power to do so.
“It is show of shame and it is not something that should be condoned by all compose mentis homo sapiens in this time and age,” Mr Obahiagbon said.
