The Edo State House of Assembly has summoned the Commissioner of Police, CP Monday Agbonika, over the arrest of the Ikpeshi traditional ruler, Zaiki Lukman Odameh III, within the Assembly premises on Monday.

 

The summon followed a motion of urgent public importance raised by the Majority Leader, Jonathan Aigbokhan (APC, Esan West), who condemned the monarch’s arrest shortly after a peace meeting with lawmakers.

 

Aigbokhan said the arrest was made without the knowledge or consent of the House leadership, calling it a show of disrespect to the legislative institution. He requested that the CP appear before the Assembly during an executive session on Tuesday at 1:00 p.m. to explain the incident.

 

Other lawmakers also criticized the police, demanded the immediate release of the monarch, and emphasized the need to respect legislative protocols.

 

Speaker Blessing Agbebaku described the arrest as a sacrilege and an affront to the Assembly, stressing that although the police have the right to arrest, it should not be executed within the Assembly complex, especially against an invited guest involved in a peace dialogue over the Ikpeshi communal crisis.

 

“This Assembly invited both warring factions to resolve the Ikpeshi conflict. If arrest is needed, it should be done in the community, not here,” the Speaker said.

 

He then ordered the immediate release of the monarch to enable his participation in the ongoing investigation.

 

The Assembly had earlier summoned the warring factions on June 18 over violent clashes linked to kingship disputes and revenue collection in Ikpeshi and directed all parties to maintain peace pending a resolution.