Raid On Goje’s Residence: Three Questions IGP Cannot Avoid If Summoned By Reps

Following the recent raid by the police on the residence of Senator Danjuma Goje, Senate Appropriation Chairman, The House of Representatives have resolved to summon the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris to explain the circumstances surrounding the purported disappearance of several relevant documents and files relating to the proposed 2017 budget.

The House of Representatives gave an order in reaction to the allegation that the documents were carted away when police raided Goje’s residence. The legislative order followed a motion during Wednesdays’ plenary on the “need to check the excesses of security agents with regards to invasion of residences of law abiding citizens”. The House also resolved to set up an ad-hoc committee to invite the IGP to explain what warranted the alleged invasion and the laws that backed the police to carry out such operations.

This event incidentally had since caused the National Assembly on Wednesday to be filled with the presence of police men on the entourage of the IGP who came to see the leadership of the Senate at about 12pm local time with regards to the issue. However, attempts by the IGP to meet with the Senate President proved abortive as it was reported that the Senate President had other important engagements, so the IGP had to meet with the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and thereafter he met with the Senate Leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan before being smuggled through ‘a sea of hungry journalists’. National Assembly journalists who had besieged the Senate Presidents floor in anticipation of having to get the Police Czar’s response to the issue proved abortive as the IGP refused to speak to the press on the matter.

There were so many questions that reporters would have loved the IGP to respond to some of which include; if the police were actually misled by the whistle blower whom the Senate President made reference to according to an unofficial source during the Senate plenary.

There were several reporters as well who also wanted to know the update on the ongoing investigation into an attempted attack on the life of Senator Dino Melaye, who was also recently attacked in his residence back home in Kogi State, in which the Senator had vehemently accused the State Governor and his local government Chairman of masterminding the attack all in a bid to silence him over his vociferous criticism of the Kogi State government.

There was also the issue of serving police officer who was alleged to have made a threat on the social media of vowing to kill at least 200 persons if President Buhari dies in the course of his illness which he alleged was as a result of poisoning.

Although the House of Reps had given the IGP 24hrs to return all documents relating to the 2017 Appropriation Bill taken away from Sen. Goje’s residence, it still remains unknown if the police action will not have an ultimate effect on the Nigerian economy which analysts have posited will get out of recession in the next quarter of the current year if the budget passage is delayed. Our eagle eyed reporter spotted the Minister of Finance a key member of President Buhari’s economic team walking out of the Senate building on the same day but could not confirm if her visit was also in connection to the ongoing issue of missing budget and its implication on the economy which experts have claimed may delay Nigeria’s move out of one of its longest recession in history.