Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The House of Representatives Minority Caucus has condemned the raid by “the police” on the Abuja residence of the Ebonyi State governor and chairman of the South East Governors Forum, Dave Umahi.
The caucus in a statement by the Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu, on Tuesday, said although the law enforcement agencies were free to do their job in accordance with the law, it was worrisome that the police authorities had denied knowledge of the operation.
Consequently, the opposition lawmakers called for a thorough investigation into the incident.
The statement read in part: “We received with angst and rude shock the report of the illegal raid on the Abuja residence of the Governor of Ebonyi State and Chairman of the South East Governors Forum, Chief Dave Umahi, by police officers reportedly from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Federal Capital Territory Command led by a Commissioner of Police.
“Whereas no one is above the law, we find the needless forced entry into the governor’s residence, needless breaking of doors, scaling of fences, switching off of lights and the CCTV system as well as all acts of intimidation associated with the raid rather menacing, inexcusable, and anti-democratic.
“The fact that the police high command, including the Office of the Inspector-General of Police, has distanced itself from the operation makes it very suspect and a clear rogue operation.”