A combined team of policemen, officials of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission and some officials of the Departmen
A combined team of policemen, officials of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission and some officials of the Department of State Services, on Wednesday, raided the 1 Alimi Road residence of former Vice-President Namadi Sambo in Kaduna. The operatives, who arrived at the scene in a bus and Toyota Hilux van around 3pm, cordoned off the road leading to the residence and barred motorists and pedestrians while the two-hour search lasted.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, explained that when the officials came into the residence, they threatened to shoot anybody that failed to cooperate with them.
“They pointed their guns at everyone, threatening to shoot anyone who dared to cause trouble. They came at about 3pm and left around 5pm.”
It was learnt that an artisan, wearing an overall, accompanied the security officials into the building. The artisan was said to have entered into the ceiling looking for documents and cash.
This will be the fifth time the property would be searched in three months. While the spokesperson for the ICPC, Mrs. Rasheedat Okoduwa, denied knowledge of the search, Sambo’s media aide, Mallam Umar Sani, insisted that the ICPC officials came with a court order to search the place.
“This is not the first time they are searching the house. They have searched the house on numerous occasions. Today (Wednesday), they came with a court order and gave a copy of the court order to the CSO (Chief Security Officer) in the house.
“After they concluded the search, they wrote at the back page of the court order that they gave to the CSO that they didn’t find anything and they left. So, we are not surprised because it has now become a routine,” said Sani.
The spokesman for the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said that the EFCC had nothing to do with the fresh raid on the former Vice-President’s Kaduna property. He, however, did not say if Sambo was still under investigation.
