Jimoh Moshood, spokesman of the
Nigeria police force, says the siege at the residence of Senate President
Bukola Saraki was “stage-managed for public sentiments”.
Speaking on a Channels TV
programme on Wednesday, Moshood said the force had no hand in the incident.
In the early hours of Tuesday,
some police vehicles and officers were seen stationed at the entrance of the
senate president’s residence in Abuja.
Footage which emerged online also
suggested that the officers were trying to block his convoy from leaving the
area, although Saraki later made it to the national assembly.
The incident generated widespread
criticisms of the force, with some Nigerians describing it as a “clampdown on
the nation’s democracy”.
But speaking on the programme,
Moshood said there was no official command for a deployment of police officers
to the senate president’s house.
“We have the responsibility to
protect him so we can’t block him. If we were expecting him at 8am, why should
we block him?” he said.
He said over 140 security
personnel of the police are attached to the national assembly “and about 40 are
attached to the senate president, including other units”.
“So what happened yesterday was
not a blockade by the security personnel from the force. The personnel seen in
the footage are those attached (to) the convoy of the senate president and to
his residence. Those you see are those attached to him,” Moshood said.
“The IGP has directed an
investigation into the incident. The ADC has been invited, he should be with the
principal all the time. So if he is not aware of the whereabouts, we want to
know why. Why should we go and block an empty house?
“The video footage was circulated
in the media to embarrass us. These are leaders of the legislature who we have
the responsibility to protect. So we should allow the investigation to be
completed before we give you the outcome of investigation.”
Saraki is being investigated for
his alleged connection with suspects arrested over the Offa bank robbery
incident in Kwara.
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