Armed policemen on Wednesday lobbed gas canisters at the lawmakers who impeached embattled Speaker of the House, Adamu Usman, the previous day in an attempt to stop them from gaining access to the assembly premises.
The policemen on duty had earlier in the day ordered the 20 lawmakers led by the new speaker, Isah Kawu, out of the premises but they had refused.
The security operatives then locked up the gate to prevent people, including staff, from going in or out of the assembly. It was gathered that the police subsequently sprayed teargas at those who defied their orders.
It was learnt that the police may have been acting on instruction from certain quarters to hinder the lawmakers from carrying out any impeachment process against the state governor, Babangida Aliyu, on allegations that he had failed to carry members of the assembly along in the governance of the state and acts of gross misconduct.
As at press time, about 300 armed policemen and other security agents had been deployed to secure the assembly.
The lawmakers angrily left the complex to meet at an undisclosed location.
Meanwhile, the impeached has insisted that the he is still the legitimate head of the assembly as the process for his removal was illegal.
“What they did is unconstitutional, null and void and of no effect. We are still the leaders of the House of Assembly. I am happy they did not accuse any of us of financial mismanagement,” he said on Wednesday.