The Police yesterday apologised to Chief Edwin Clark over Monday’s “unauthorised raid” of his residence in Abuja by four policemen in search of arms.
Police spokesman Jimoh Moshood, who said on Tuesday that Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Idris did not authorise the action, confirmed the arrest and detention of the four policemen and the informant, pending a full investigation.
Moshood said the police delegation to Clark’s house was led by Deputy Inspector of Police (DIG) (Operations) Habila Joshak and some Commissioners of Police.
The informant who gave the false information that the officers who carried out the raid acted upon, is to be arraigned, he added.
Ismail Yakubu, 45, of Waru in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was paraded before reporters yesterday. He confirmed passing the information given to him by a taxi driver to the police..
The police gave the manes of its men who carried out the raid as Assistant Suprintendent of Police (ASP) David Dominic and Inspectors Godwin Musa, Sada Abubakar and Yabo Paul.
Moshood said the officer who led the team had been queried, adding that the three Inspectors were undergoing orderly room trial for the appropriate punishment to be meted out to them.
On whether due dligience was followed when the police got the information, Moshood said: “No. And that is why the officers are being punished. They have been queried and they are in detention.
”There are procedures to be followed before executing the search warrant. It is because of the lapses on their side that they are being investigated.”
Yakubu narrated how he got the information which he passed to the police.
He said: “The point is that I was going to Asokoro on Monday around 4pm. I was called to receive a message at the back of ECOWAS. I took a taxi from Apo roundabout.
”When I got to the back of ECOWAS according to the description of the man that called me to come and receive a message. I saw a street called Haile Celestial Street. That was the street I was going. There is a Catholic Church uncompleted building there and that was where the man asked me to meet him.
”When we were on our way, I was in front and two other passengers were in the car. I noticed that the whole street was blocked and then I began to ask questions to know what was happening.
“It was then the taxi man said the street is where Niger Delta people live. I probed further to know why the road was blocked and rowdy. He then pointed out to me to see the truck entering the compound. The compound was House 43.
”The truck was a white Hilux van and it was sealed. The driver said the road was blocked because the van was trying to enter the compound.”
Yakubu continued: “The driver said the van was filled with ammunition. As an indigene of FCT and hearing the information, I thought to myself that why ammunition in FCT because residents of FCT are peace-loving people? I said I cannot take that. I asked how sure he was and he said he was very sure and that was why the whole area was blocked.
“That was the same point I dropped from the taxi and I paid him his money. I carried my phone and called the person who called me to come and receive message.
”The message the person brought was a nylon bag containing Irish potatoes because he came from Jos. I told him what the taxi man told me and being Monday, had it been I had access to STS office, I would have reported that issue immediately on Monday.
“On Tuesday morning, I met Inspector Sada and I narrated what I saw. I told him that I got the information from a taxi man. I told him the address and they went there to investigate.
“On how he felt about how it all turned out, he said : “The Police said when you see a suspicious movement, you should always report to the Police. I don’t think I have done wrong.”
Yakubu also said he did not see the residents of the house offload arms and ammunition.
