Nigerian Soldiers Search Speaker Aminu Tambuwal’s Car For Bombs

Nigerian soldiers on Monday searched the car to the speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, in Kaduna.

The soldiers insisted they must search his car before allowing him entry into the venue of an event he was billed to be the key speaker at an event organised by the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, with the theme “The Role of Pastoralists in Preventing Insurgency and Conflicts for enhanced National Security”.

PremiumTimes reports that the incident occurred at the 17th Hotel Kaduna venue of an international conference on security and development challenges of pastoralists in west and central Africa.

Mr. Tambuwal, who was one of the key note speakers of the conference, arrived the Hotel at about 9:16 a.m.; but soldiers at the gate insisted that his convoy will not be allowed entry. They said only the staff car should approach the gate.

“When the embarrassment was getting too much, the speaker just alighted from the car and walked into the hotel,” a source said.

He also said he was surprised when “some governors came later and no one attempted to stop or search their vehicles”.

The spokesperson of Mr. Tambuwal, Imam Imam, confirmed the incident and advised the military to have respect for the office of the Speaker.

“As the number four citizen, the Honourable Speaker deserves the respect of all Nigerians. What happened was unfortunate,” he said. “We should have respect for the office and his official car is part of the symbol of that office.”

Mr. Imam also said incidents like what happened to the Speaker may undermine the legislature as an institution.