Police Raid On Goje’s House: Budget Passage May Be Further Delayed
BY AMOS DUNIA, ABUJA – Hope for the passage of the 2017 Appropriation of Bill of the Federal Government this week based on legislative calendar may have been dashed.
This followed the raid of the Abuja residence of the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Danuja Goje by officers and men of the Nigerian police last week Thursday, April 20, 2017.
Concerned about the development, the Senate in a deft move invited the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris for a closed door meeting which took place today over what it described as attempt to cow the institution of the Senate and intimidate Senators.
Senator Goje, a former governor of Gombe State, had told the Senate in a motion under ‘Privileges and urgent national importance’ that during the raid of his house which covered about four hours, policemen carted away several documents including files containing details of the 2017 budget.
He further said; “During the operation, many files and laptops were taken away. The police traumatised my family during the raid. Specifically, many files which were key to early passage of 2017 budget were taken away by the Police.”
The IGP, Forefront News gathered, told the Senate that the raid was based on intelligence gathered in relation to security concerns that needed to be acted on swiftly and not carried out to intimidate or harass the former governor of Gombe State.
The police boss assured the Senate that no file would be tempered with if it is not needed or found to have no connection with the issue(s) under investigation.
