Members of the House of Representatives have clashed over calls for the release of the detained Shite leader, El-Zakzaky.
After a prayer by Herman Hembe, calling on the Federal Government to obey court orders to release el-Zakzaky, another lawmaker, Linda Ikpeazu, made another prayer directing the Kaduna State Government to obey similar court orders.
The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, had put the prayer to a voice vote and the nays had it.
Supporters of the prayers had protested, forcing the presiding officer to call for a division of the House.
The division, which is usually called when those for and against a matter cannot be clearly determined through voice vote, means that lawmakers would be asked to relocate to either sides of the isle based on their votes.
Shortly after calling for a division and the lawmakers had started taking positions in the chamber, the Speaker asked that the process be done behind closed doors, asking the sergeants-at-arms to usher non-members out of the chamber and gallery.