Elder statesman and South-South leader, Chief Edwin Clark, whose Asokoro residence in Abuja was allegedly ransacked for two hours on the orders of the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, yesterday, vowed that at 92, government and its agencies can not stop him from speaking his mind on national issues.
Clark, who spoke to newsmen minutes after the invasion, asserted: “I have been Minister in this country, I have been a Senator in this country and if by my age, I am nearing 92 years now, I will be accused of stockpiling weapons in my house, it is too bad.
“The police came to my house, showed me the warrant and I said go ahead. So, they searched the house. They spent two hours and even my secretary, who was on her way to the bank; they said they must search her room and office, so, we have to call her back from the bank.
“She came, they searched, they said they want to search my wife’s room, my wife is in Lagos, they said they will search her room, we have to look for the keys and they searched, they found nothing.
“That is what happened today, that is the embarrassment they wrote down that they found nothing, they signed and we signed. So, we have asked our lawyer to go and get the report,” he said.
“I have never one day thought about carrying gun, I have been fighting for the unity of this country, if at the age of 92 years, I am making statement, and they do not want me to talk, I will continue to talk, which is the position.”
It was gathered that the armed policemen, who prevented people from leaving the house while the search lasted, did not find any weapon in the residence of the former federal commissioner for information.
The police were said to have received information that the elder statesman was stockpiling arms in his house on the basis of which a search warrant was procured and the house invaded, yesterday.
Reacting to the invasion, National Chairman of Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga (rtd), condemned the invasion and resort to totalitarianism by government, demanding that the police publish their findings immediately.
Nkanga said: “We condemn in totality the action of the police while we are hopeful that they will give us the result of the invasion. If they said they are looking for arms and have found no arms, they should very quickly apologize to him, the entire Nigeria and let us know why they have brought us into this state of affairs.”
He added: “We criticize it in totality and it will not end here, the government should stand up and start telling us whether we are in democracy because what is happening now is not democracy again, this is totalitarianism.
“Though the handwriting seemed to be on the wall before now because we have been observing impunity, if we are going back into military dictatorship, the government should let us know, that is what we have also been crying about. Let them publish the result of their invasion very quickly. If they do not do that, then Nigerians will start to know what is ahead of them, this is not democracy,” he said.
Also reacting, Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) led by Pereotubo Oweilaemi Esq., in a statement, said: “Nigeria is gradually descending into a fully blown anarchy. This is dangerous for our democracy. Nigeria is heading to the cliff.”
“Relevant stakeholders need to rise in defence of our hard earned democracy. President Buhari should call his overbearing security agencies to order before they plunge the country into an unmitigated crisis.
“There can be no democracy where there is no dissenting voice. Mr. President should accept that our democracy cannot exist without opposition elements to his government. Chief Clark, who is an elder statesman, his views on national issues need to be appreciated by the government of the day instead of being witch hunted,” he said.
Earlier, the police, yesterday, raided the Abuja residence of federal commissioner for information and South-South Leader, Chief Edwin Clark.
The policemen, who searched all the rooms of the elder statesman, alleged that they were in the house to search for arms which they accused him of keeping.
The policemen, who arrived the Asokoro residence of Clark at 1.30pm, left the premises 2.30pm.
They did not find any incriminating evidence or ammunition in the house.
According to the policemen, they stormed the house on the orders of the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.
Meanwhile, National Secretary of Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, Dr. Alfred Mulade, yesterday, called on the Federal Government to explain within the next 48 hours the reason(s) for the degrading treatment meted on one of the fathers of the nation, Senator Edwin Clark, by the Police, at his Abuja home.
“We hereby call on the Federal Government to thoroughly investigate and offer explanation within the next 48 hours this barbaric action against one of the fathers of this nation, in such a brazing manner, “he said in a statement, last night.
“PANDEF received with total condemnation, reports of the action of heavily armed men of the Nigerian Police Force’ unwarranted invasion and takeover of the Abuja residence of national elder stateman, Chief Edwin Clark, OFR, CON, today, under the unfounded allegation of stockpiling of weapons from the Niger Delta.”
“We understand that the residence of this revered 91 year old former Federal Minister, a Distinguished second Republic Senator of the Federal Republic, and at present, Leader of the National coalition known as the Nigerian Elders and Leaders Forum, comprising the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) for the South – South, Afenifere for the South West, Ohaneze Ndigbo for the South East, Middle Belt Forum for the Middle Belt Zone, and the Northern Elders Forum, was thoroughly raided and searched, room by room and item by item, for over two hours, in a manner most demeaning and embarrassing of the person of this national icon who was physically present at the time of this invasion.”
“PANDEF condemns this very barbaric act which is tantamount to state terrorism and total disregard for his fundamental human rights and complete disregard for established traditional respect for age and national service.
“We insist that Chief EK Clark remains a symbol of our national unity and a leading voice in our search for equity, fairness and justice. PANDEF therefore strongly condemns this unwarranted action against one of the country’s leading statesmen by the Nigerian Police,” he said.
Similarly, the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris has denied ordering officers and men of the Nigeria Police to raid the residence of the former Federal Commissioner for Information and South South Leader, Chief Edwin Clark and has order immediate detention of four police personnel and informant involved, IGP monitoring unit to investigate the search by police personnel.
IGP-Idris in a statement disclosed by the Ag DCP Jimoh O Moshood, Force Public Relations Officers, Mr. Idris ordered for the detention of four police personnel and informant involved in the raid. Recall that Police officers had stormed the residence of Clark in search of arms which they accused him of keeping.
The police officers were allegedly reported to have raided the residence by the order of IGP. In view of the above therefore, Police wished to state categorically that 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.
In another development, the monitoring team, set up by the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, continued its tour of facilities of the Special Anti Robbery Squad in the South West, warning that SARS operatives will no longer bear arms while on mufti.
The team led by ACP Adepojulo Ilori and ACP Abayomi Shogunle visited the SARS headquarters at Dugbe, Ibadan to monitor their activities. He said: “Henceforth, SARS must wear police uniform whenever they are going for operation.
They would no longer be allowed to carry arms wearing mufti. Any of them you see in mufti carrying arms should be reported immediately. We are acting on the complaints of the public who said they found it difficult to identify them.”
When asked if wearing police uniform would not expose the SARS operatives to danger particularly when they are on undercover assignments, ACP Ilori said there is a special unit of the police that carries out intelligence.
As for SARS operatives wearing dreadlocks, ear rings and tattoo, Ilori said: “After this exercise, you will see reformed SARS.
We are still going to other facilities in Oyo and Ogbomoso just to ensure things are done properly. “If there are bad eggs, we will take necessary actions against them. Those who are not ready to change will be shown the way out. There will be no sacred cow.”