By Baron Ike
The police have arraigned two men believed to have given them false information that caused them to raid the official residence of the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu recently.
The suspects, Ahmed Echodo, and Maiwada Adamu (now at large)were brought before an Upper Area Court, Gudu, Abuja, on Tuesday, May 30 for blowing a whistle on Ekweremadu which made the police to raid his house on Friday, May 26, but which information turned out to be fake.
The police accused the defendants of “criminal conspiracy and giving false information to mislead public servant contrary to Section 97 (1) and 140 of penal Code Law”.
The charge signed by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ibrahim Agu read: “That on 26/05/17, at about 0900hr, you, Ahmed Echodo ‘M’ aged 50 years, of No. 44 Living Truth Street, Masaka, Nasarawa State and one Maiwada Adamu now at large did conspire within yourselves by informing the Office of IGP, STS at Guzape Area of FCT, Abuja that house No 10 Ganges Street, Maitama, FCT, Abuja occupied by Oliver Ogenyi is being maintained and used for criminal activities, including keeping of firearms and ammunitions.
“Unfortunately, after the police carried out diligent execution of the search warrant no incriminating items were found therein. You by such action misled the police and hereby committed the above offences”.
Echodo, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. His bail application by his counsel, Peters Ugwuoke, was opposed by the police prosecutor, ASP Ismail Taiwo.
The Chief Upper Area Court judge, Umar Kagarko, after listening to the arguments, adjourned till June 5, 2017 for ruling on the bail application.
Ekweremadu has since reacted to the arraignment saying such would serve as a lesson to other false whistle blowers and agencies of government.
The Deputy President of the Senate also commended the Inspector General of Police, Idris Kpotun, on the prosecution of one of the false whistle blowers, whom police alleged misled them into raiding his official guest house in Abuja on Friday, May 26, calling for further investigation into the matter.
He said: “I want to give the police hierarchy the benefit of doubt that it did not authorise the impunity, harassment, and witch-hunt executed by police officers on my official guest house last Friday, and that the police were misled.
“I hope the swift arraignment of the alleged whistle blowers will be emulated by other security and anti-corruption agencies and also serve as a deterrent to those who lend themselves as willing tools to people out to intimidate and persecute others as well as tarnish their image for whatever motives.
“But beyond the arraignment, I urge the police to dig deeper to determine if there were influential masterminds behind the incident as a bird does not dance by the roadside without a drumbeater somewhere in the bush”.
“Perhaps, if the attempt on my life on November 17, 2015 was taken seriously by the security agencies, those who desperately seek to destroy me by all means possible would have been fished out or had a rethink” Ekweremadu added.
Although the Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, earlier insisted that the raid during which nothing incriminating was found was not carried out by men of the force, the arraignment by the police on Tuesday however contradicts his earlier position.
It would be recalled that Ekweremadu had on May 3, 2017, read to the Senate in plenary a written, but anonymous tip-off, on a plot to plant incriminating sums of foreign currencies, arms, and ammunition in a house linked to him under the pretext of the whistle blower policy.
The aim, according to what he said the source revealed, was to rubbish, arrest, prosecute, and ultimately remove him from office.