2017 budget: Police to return seized laptop, documents to Goje

As Senate, IGP reach agreement
Reps give IGP 24 hours ultimatum

ByJoseph Erunke, Emman Ovuakporie & Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA — A meeting held between the Senate leadership and the Inspector General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, yesterday, over last week’s raid on the Abuja residence of former governor of Gombe State and Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Danjuma Goje, ended with the latter agreeing to return documents and laptop seized from the house of the senator to him.

But the police boss, at the meeting which was convened at the instance of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, agreed to release documents that contained the 2017 Appropriation Bill.

Idris, at the meeting which held at the Senate President’s conference room, yesterday, told the Senate team, which included Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, that documents containing ongoing budget treatment would be released just as he refuted claims that the police action was to tamper with the yet-to-be passed budget.

The IGP, who had arrived for the meeting at about 3:25 pm, shortly after the Senate plenary, was ushered in to meet with the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, after which Saraki joined.

Other senators at the meeting, which lasted for about an hour, were Chairman, Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Abu Ibrahim (APC, Katsina South); Senate Deputy Minority Leader, Bala Ibn Na’allah (APC, Gombe South) and Senator Kabiru Gaya, (APC, Kano South).

Others were the affected senator, Danjuma Goje, representing Gombe South Senatorial zone on the platform of APC, and Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang.

Vanguard’s source at the meeting, which journalists were barred from covering, said the police boss had insisted that other documents, including the seized cash from the house, would not be immediately released, saying investigation which prompted the raid was still ongoing.

His acceptance to release the laptop, according to our source, was based on the fact that the Senator had claimed that seized laptop and other documents contained the 2017 budget, saying with the development, his commitee’s dream of putting finishing touches to the nation’s annual financial documents, with a view to submitting to the Senate in plenary for onward consideration and passage, had been hampered.

 Reps give IGP 24 hours ultimatum

Apparently disturbed by this development, the House issued a 24-hour ultimatum to Ibrahim Idris, Inspector General of Police, to return all the documents relating to the 2017 Appropriation Bill carted away from the residence not later than today in order not to jeopardize the passage of the budget.

The resolution was passed sequel to the adoption of the motion promoted by Abubakar Ahmad on the need to check the excesses of security agents, with regard to invasion of residences of law abiding citizens.

Some of the lawmakers who spoke in favour of the motion, include: Leo Ogor, Minority Leader; Yuguda Hassan (APC-Jigawa); Munir Dan’Agundi (APC-Kano), Gabriel Onyenwife (APGA-Anambra); Kingsley Chinda (PDP-Rivers); Toby Okechukwu (PDP-Enugu); Frederick Agbedi (PDP-Bayelsa); Betty Apiafi (PDP-Rivers); Herman Hembe (APC-Benue), among others.

Although, none of the Senators at the meeting refused to make open disclosure of deliberations at the meeting, a source at the meeting who spoke to Vanguard in confidence said the meeting was fruitful that the police boss, having been hinted of the fate of the 2017 budget yet to be passed, agreed to return the laptop and budget documents.

“But the IGP who said he was aware of what the delay in the passage of the budget could cause the nation, accepted to return all items concerning the budget.

“He, however said he could not guarantee the cash carried from the raid,   basing his reason on the fact that there was ongoing investigation into the action of the police.

“We saw reason with what he said. We were unanimous that our intervention was not because   it concerns one of us but that because non release of documents containing budget can hamper it’s passage.

“We told him we were not against the probe of anybody but where the action is inimical to the nation’s progress, we must look at it twice, “he said.

When contacted by Vanguard   to speak on what transpired during the meeting, Senator Ita Enang declined comment, saying he was not in in a position to speak.

 

 

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