Hoodlums on Wednesday invaded the Senate Chambers and disrupted ongoing proceedings.
The invaders snatched the mace and took it away.
The men were said to be supporters of Senator Ovie Omo- Agege, who was suspended last week.
The incident happened few seconds after Omo-Agege entered the chamber.
About 10 suspected thugs who came to the venue with the senator forced their entrance into the chamber.
Seconds later, the thugs ran out of the chamber with the mace causing pandemonium in the Senate.
They left the National Assembly with the mace in a black SUV.
The mace is the symbol of authority of the parliament.
One of the security personnel at the entrance of the National Assembly said the thugs told him and other officers they were with the senator.
“We tired to stop them but they told us they were with him (Omo-Agege),” he said.
UPDATE!
The Senate resumed the with the day’s plenary with a spare mace after the previous one was snatched from the Chambers.
The invaders had fled the National Assembly Complex premises in a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) accompanied by two pickup vans.
The lawmakers resumed plenary after coming out of an Executive (closed door) Session where the earlier incident of forceful removal of the mace was deliberated upon.
Thereafter, the Senate considered the Electoral Act 2010 Amendment Bill for second reading.
The bill, among others, seeks to reshuffle the order of polls in a general election, a proposal that had generated controversy particularly in the Senate.
The proposed bill was one of the reasons why Senator Ovie Omo-Agege was sent on six-month suspension.
