Security was water-tight as the crisis-torn Edo State House of Assembly resumed sitting this morning. Journalists, Assembly workers, personal aides of the lawmakers and men of the State Security Service (SSS) were refused entry into the main complex of the Assembly.

Particularly insistent on the denial of entry into the House by some journalists (including News Express Correspondent) was one of the suspended legislators, Abdul Rahzak Momoh (PDP).

The police officer in charge, not wanting to be seen as biased, agreed that any non-legislator who was not cleared to enter by either of the warring factions of the House had to leave.

All the lawmakers were frisked (including Speaker Uyi Igbe) before entrance to guarantee that they were not in possession of arms or other dangerous objects.

The House is locked in crisis over the fate of four suspended PDP lawmakers who are being accused of gross indiscipline. The suspected members have vowed to defy a court order that asked them to stay away from sitting in the House.

As at the time of filing in this report the lawmakers were inside, with little information available on how things were going.

•Photo by Nelson Dafe shows Edo House of Assembly Speaker, Uyi Igbe, being frisked before entry into the complex . . . this morning in Benin City.