Three Nigerian police officers have been sacked and another one suspended over the “unauthorised” raid of Edwin Clark’s house in Abuja on Tuesday, the Force Headquarters said Thursday.
Clark’s home in Asokoro neighbourhood was reportedly stormed by officers in the afternoon. The officers reportedly said they were hunting for illicit weapons which the elder statesman allegedly stockpiled at his residence.
Clark denied the allegations and demanded an immediate apology. Inspector-General Ibrahim Idris immediately distanced himself from the raid and sent top-level police officers, including a deputy inspector-general, to apologise to Mr Clark at his residence.
The 91-year-old said he had accepted the apology, but expressed strong doubts that the men who carried out the raid were unauthorised.
As messages of outrage and condemnation poured in on Wednesday morning, the police announced that three inspectors were already facing orderly room trial for their roles in the raid. A fourth officer, who is an assistant superintendent of police and the most-senior of the four, was queried and is now said to be on suspension, according to a statement released shortly after 2:00 p.m. by police spokesperson Jimoh Moshood.