Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, has called on
President Muhammadu Buhari to set up an investigative panel to probe last
Tuesday's police invasion of the Abuja residence of the elder statesman, Chief
Edwin Clark.
Saraki in a statement issued on Wednesday described as
unwarranted the police search of the home of the nonagenarian, and called for an
open and comprehensive investigation into the incident.
The incident, he said, was an "unwarranted
harassment of the statesman," who is known for being very vocal in
expressing his views on national issues.
He added that the incident must not be be covered
up without the public knowing all the details, particularly concerning the
officer who gave the order, who signed the police search warrant and the
officers who executed it as well as what the objective was meant to serve.
According to him, "Chief Edwin Clark, a Second
Republic Senator, former minister in the General Yakubu Gowon administration,
is not just anybody. Yes, he is not above the law. If there is a genuine reason
for his home to be searched by law enforcement agencies, nobody will object to
it. However, as it now appears, for the police to conduct a raid on the home of
a man of that age on the pretence that they were looking for arms and
eventually, the claim turned out to be a hoax, then something must be amiss.”
Saraki, while further condemning the police action,
also described it as a threat to Nigeria's democracy.
"This type of action by the police coming at
this time when we are preparing for election is not reflecting well on the
country. Such actions constitute a threat to democracy. They represent gross
abuse of state institutions. Now that the Inspector General of Police (IG) has
denied that the raid was never authorised, the next move should be a thorough,
transparent investigation into the Clark’s incident to prevent future
occurrence.
"This kind of ugly development must stop. This
country experienced peaceful change in 2015 because the government in power
allowed democracy to work. If the government had allowed the flagrant abuse and
misuse of state institutions to be the norm, we would not have had the change
that occurred," the Senate president stated.
Saraki further reminded the government of its recent
commitment to world leaders on the need to create a peaceful and conducive
atmosphere necessary for a credible, free and fair elections where citizens can
freely exercise their franchise, devoid of intimidation, suppression and abuse
of their fundamental human rights.
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