The incident happened few seconds after a suspended senator, Ovie Omo-Agege, entered the chamber.
Our reporter observed that 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 tried to stop them but they told us they were with him (Omo-Agege),” he said.
The senators are yet to reconvene as at the time of filing this report.
The Senate has accused a lawmaker, Ovie Omo-Agege, of leading hoodlums to seize the mace, which serves as the chamber’s symbol of authority.
In a statement after the incident on Wednesday, Senate spokesperson, Sabi Abdullahi, said the incident is an act of treason.
The police on Wednesday afternoon arrested suspended senator, Ovie Omo-Agege, at the National Assembly premises.
Mr Omo-Agege was whisked away in a black hilux van at about 1:54 p.m.
The arrest is in connection to the theft of the Senate mace, hours earlier.
Senate spokesperson, Sabi Abdullahi, accused the senator of leading hoodlums to the Senate chamber to seize the mace.
Mr Omo-Agege after the incident returned to the chamber.
