ABUJA– The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris,yesterday, dispatched a high-powered delegation of top police officers, led by a Deputy Inspector General of Police, DIG, to meet with elder statesman and Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, following earlier search of his Abuja home by the police. E. K. Clark Recall that the house of the former Federal Commissioner for Information was ransacked by some personnel of the Nigerian Police allegedly on information provided by an informant that arms were stored in the house.
The police personnel that carried out the raid had said their action was sequel to an order from Mr Idris, who they alleged, ordered the search. But the police boss had in a swift reaction through a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, denied having hands in it. The delegation, headed by DIP Operations, Habila Joshak, was saddled with the responsibility of tendering an unreserved apology to Chief Clark on behalf of the Nigeria Police Force.
A statement Wednesday morning to this effect by the Mr Moshood, read thus:”Further to the earlier Press Statement from the Nigeria Police Force on the directives of the Inspector General of Police for immediate detention and Investigation of the Four(4) Police Personnel (including a Senior Police Officer) and an informant involved in the unauthorized, illegal and unprofessional misconduct in the Search of Chief Edwin Clark’s Residence in Asokoro, Abuja, today 4thSeptember, 2018.
The IGP as stated in the press statement was not aware and did not authorize the search and has therefore sent a delegation of Senior Police Officers, led by DIG HABILA JOSHAK (DIG DOPs) along with some commissioners of Police who visited the elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark and apologized on behalf of the Nigeria Police Force and the IGP for the misconducts of the said Police Personnel and the attendant embarrassment the search has caused on the Elder statesman and his family. ” The delegation was received by Chief Edwin Clark and the apology was accepted by him. ”
Furthermore, the Inspector General of Police has directed that while the four police personnel are in detention and being investigated and tried within the Force Disciplinary Procedures before appropriate punishments are meted out to them, the IGP has directed the immediate parade of the informant(Suspect) on Wednesday 5th September, 2018 in the presence of the press and the public, before his prompt arraignment and prosecution in court.”
