“They want to militarise the country because they do not want any opposition.”
That was Ijaw leader Chief Edwin Clark speaking Tuesday after policemen invaded his Abuja residence around 1:30pm.
The security operatives, who presented a search warrant to the elder statesman, reportedly spent over two hours at his residence.
“There was no notice before the search. The policemen just walked in and demanded to search the house,” he told TheCable.ng. “When they came, my secretary wasn’t around and they did not have access to the office because it was locked, but they insisted that the office must be opened. They eventually searched the place but didn’t find anything incriminating. They searched my bedroom too… we allowed them to do their job.”
Hours later, police spokesman Jimoh O. Moshood issued a release distancing inspector-general of police Ibrahim Idris from the raid.
He said the IGP was not aware of, and did not order, a raid on the residence of Chief Edwin Clark, and that he had ORDERED the immediate detention of the four policemen and informant involved in the raid.
His release in part:
“The attention of the Nigeria Police Force has been drawn to a report on Vanguard online publication of 4th September, 2018, credited to one Henry Umoru claiming that the police on Tuesday raided the Abuja residence of [former] Federal Commissioner for Information and South-South leader, Chief Edwin Clark.
- The Force wishes to categorically state that, the Inspector General of Police is not aware and did not order the raid of the residence of the Elder Statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, as claimed by the writer of the story.
- Consequently, the Inspector General of Police has directed the detention and investigation of the Four (4) Police personnel and the informant involved. The outcome of the investigation will definitely be made public.
- Notwithstanding, the facts that on a daily basis, the Nigeria Police Force across the country receives information from members of the public which were promptly used to prevent and detect crimes and criminalities, the Force will not condone misconduct by any of its personnel that can run contrary to the rule of law.”
Many Nigerians have expressed outrage over the raid, and Clark has promised to go to court.
