The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris on Tuesday reportedly ordered the arrest of four officers that reportedly raided the house of one of Nigeria’s elder statesmen, Chief Edwin Clark including their informant. This is even as Idris claimed that he did not sanction the raid on the Abuja residence of Clark.
The Force Spokesman, Ag. DCP Jimoh Moshood in a statement in Abuja also stated that the IG has asked the IGP Monitoring Unit to investigate the raid.
The statement reads: “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 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 Police personnel and the informant involved.” The Force promised that the outcome of the investigation will be made public.
Moshood also stated that the Force would not condone any form of misconduct by its personnel.
“Notwithstanding, the facts that on 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.”
The Abuja residence of the Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark was raided Tuesday by the police.
The Police men, numbering six, it was learnt came from the office of the Inspector- General of Police, IGP, Ibrahim Idris.
They were from the IGP’s ‘Special Tactical Force’ STF, Guzape, Abuja, which reports only to the Inspector- General of Police.
The 91-old former federal commissioner was at home when the police came calling at about 12.30, in a 18- Seater Hiace Bus and a four Runner Car, with registration number EU 979 ABC.
Clark, No 43, Haile Selassie Street, Asokoro residence was turned inside out as the police searched for about two hours without finding anything incriminating.
The Police men were led by Kolo Yusuf, said that they were with a Search warrant that was obtained from the court.
Speaking after the incident, Chief Clark said, “I was in the house, in my bedroom when my boys came to inform me that there were police men downstairs and in the parlour, I said what do they want, they said they came from Inspector- General of Police, IGP Tactical Squad with a warrant and with their office in Guzape, So I said what do you want?
“They said I was selling weapons in my house so that’s why they went to court to obtain a search warrant and they showed me the search warrant, I said, go ahead. So they went down, searched everywhere, my most important part of it, my secretary, Miss Dorothy Koko was in the bank, they said they must see that room and her bedroom and the office. So she had to come from the bank to open those rooms for them to search. Then after they came up, searched my wife’s room, my children’s room, my other parlor upstairs and everywhere, this is what happened.”
On whether the Police at the end of the day discovered arms and Ammunition, Chief Clark said, “They didn’t find anything; they made a statement that they’ve come here with a warrant to search the house for ammunition, but they have searched the house they found nothing and they themselves took away nothing. Three of my people signed it and three of them signed it that’s what happened.”
When asked if the search could be related to last week’s meeting of Elders and Leaders of various socio- cultural groups in the country, Chief Clark said, “I believe because of the various meetings we’ve been holding about the state of the nation, otherwise why would they expect, am not in Delta where I come from, that militants have come to keep ammunition in my house, but no sensible man will think that a 92 year old man in Abuja, will be keeping ammunition in his house to fight the government, overthrow the government, this is ridiculous, shameful.
“I am not saying that people don’t keep arms, but am not that kind of person, I speak my mind on issues affecting this country, I believe in advocacy, I believe in peace. When our boys, calling themselves avengers and so on, vandalized pipelines, I formed an organization known as Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF to stop these boys and I led about 100 people including leaders, traditional rulers, everybody.
“Since then, there have been peace in the Niger Delta, oil production has increased, is that why I should be treated like this, perhaps this is the time I should mention, it has been the policy of the federal government, the presidency to congratulate Nigerians who have attained certain age, I attained the age of 91 on the 25th of May this year.
According to the source, when Dorothy Koko arrived, the policemen asked her to open her office, she did, they searched, thereafter went to her bedroom and toilet to search for everything, even as the rooms were turned upside down.
The source said further that soon after they finished with Dorothy Koko, the Police men now climbed up to Chief Clark’s bed room where they also carried out a search in his room, the toilet, his wife’s room, the Children’s room, al, the parlours, among other places.
At the end of the two hour exercise of putting the residence of Clark into such traumatic and horrifying situation, the Police men left without finding anything incriminating against the Elder Statesman.
Three Police men were said to have signed a legal document indicating that neither arm nor ammunition was found in the house of Chief Clark or anything incriminating, while three persons from the side of Clark also signed the document before they took it to the office.
Those who signed on behalf of Chief Clark were Ambassador Godknows Igali; Secretary General of Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, Dr. Alfred Mulade and Mr. Mac Emakpore.
Reaction has continued to trail the invasion as Nigerian Leaders and Elders Forum expresses shock over the incident. The Afenifere, Ohanaeze, Middle Belt Forum and Northern Elders forum strongly condemned the police.
In a joint statement by the groups, the police action was described as shameful.
The statement was signed by Yinka Odumakin, Prof Chigozie Ogbu, Dr Isuwa Dogo and Dr Junaid Mohammed.
The statement reads: “The Nigerian Leaders and Elders Forum is flabbergasted by the gestapo-like raid on the Abuja home of 91-year -old elder-statesman and Leader of Pan-Niger Delta Forum(PANDEF) ,Chief EK Clark by men of the Nigerian Police on the spurious allegation that there were “arms and ammunition” stockpiled in the house.
“At the end of the shameful invasion of the home of the former Minister and Senator in the worst signal of Nigeria becoming a police state, the police could not find more than a kitchen knife regularly used to slice tomato and onion.
“We view the provocative search as not arising from any intelligence report but a sheer act of intimidation on a home that has served as meeting point for patriots across Nigeria who are engaged in peaceful consultations to save Nigeria from the edge of the precipice.
The raid is a sad reminder of the era of full blown dictatorship in 1984 when the home of Chief Obafemi Awolowo was ransacked in Ikenne by solders and officials of the dreaded NSO whose conduct has only been rivaled by the DSS under Daura before he was removed when the President was on vacation abroad.
“The traumatization of Pa Clark at 91 is yet another proof that mad power has taken over our polity and its desperation now walking on four with all boundaries of decency collapsed for raw display of beastly tendencies.
The Nigerian Leaders and Elders Forum demands an immediate apology to Chief Clark by the Nigerian Police whose leadership at the moment has shown serial unprofessionalism and dark age policing.
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“We want to sound it loud and clear to the administration that if the object of this intimidation is to send fear signals to patriots who are demanding better leadership for our country ,it has backfired .We all counted the cost before we chose to embark on standing up for the country
Our battle cry remains : no retreat, no surrender !”
