Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has commended the Inspector General of Police, Idris Ibrahim, for the arraignment of the false whistle blower, Ahmed Echodo, who misled police to conduct a raid on his official guest house last week.
This is contained in a statement by Ekweremadu’s Special Adviser on Media, Uche Anichukwu.
It reads: “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 drum beater somewhere in the bush”.
The statement added that if security agencies had taken the assassination attempt of November 17, 2015, on him seriously, those seeking to desperately destroy him, would have been fished out.
Echodo was arraigned for allegedly conspiring with one Maiwada Adamu, now at large, to mislead the police into the raid.
The police accused defendant 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”.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The bail application by the defendant’s counsel, Mr. 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.
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