Protesters have invaded Nigeria's National Assembly in the capital, Abuja, and made away with a ceremonial staff, known as the mace.
A local television station has tweeted photos of what looks like a chaotic scene in the Senate chamber:
Without the one-metre long gilded mace, meetings are not allowed to be officially convened or decisions made in parliament as it symbolises its authority and unity.
Nigeria's Premium Times newspaper is reporting that 10 people came into the chamber with a suspended senator, stole the mace and then drove away in a black four-by-four vehicle.
Nigerian police given 24 hours to find mace
Nigeria’s Senate has given the police chief and secret service boss 24 hours to recover the mace stolen from the chamber earlier today.
Senators have now resumed their session after this morning’s chaos, using a spare ceremonial staff, a statement said.
It referred to the incident as an "assault on democracy":
The Senate also decided that it will get to the roots of this sad assault on democracy and an obvious act of treason which the seizure of the mace by some armed hoodlums represents."
The hoodlums severely attacked some members of staff of the National Assembly, particularly the sergeant-at-arms on chamber duties."
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