Raid on Jonathan’s house: Disclose identities of informants, Reps tell NDLEA

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petition,
yesterday, asked the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA,
to disclose the identifies of persons who tipped them for a raid on
a property belonging to the former First Lady, Dame Patience
Jonathan.

The demand was made at the hearing on a petition recently
submitted by Mrs. Jonathan, alleging harassment by officials of the
Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, the Federal Inland
Revenue Service, FIRS, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA,
as well as the Nigeria Police.

Defending its position, the NDLEA, which was the only respondent
present at the hearing, agreed that it carried out a raid on a
property located at Igbeti Rock Street, Maitama, Abuja.

Represented by a director in the agency, Femi Oloruntoba, the
agency said the raid was carried out based on a tip off.

He said that the law establishing the agency empowers it to
carry out operations, stressing that the identity cards of the
officials were their warrant.

He said that giving pre-information to occupant was usually in
their totem as that would make the suspect hide the substance.

The NDLEA scribe was however, confronted with the question of
whether the agency tenders apology to people in the event of not
discovering anything unlawful from their property.

Earlier, the legal team from Granville Abibo (SAN) & Co, led
by Sammie Somiari, who petitioned the House on behalf of Mrs
Jonathan, had earlier told the committee that the EFCC and other
government agencies had endlessly harassed the former first lady in
the media unjustly.

The team also said that various accounts of the former first
lady including those of Aridolf Jo Resort Wellness and Spa Limited
off Okota Estate and Finchley Top Homes Limited with branches in
Abuja, Port Harcourt and Yenagoa, had been frozen.

According to them, it had not only paralyzed activities of the
ventures but also affected salaries of the staff for months.

“The EFCC has serially orchestrated a design to freeze the
personal accounts of Mrs Jonathan, her siblings and other relations
and associates,” Somaira said.

Ruling on the matter, the chairman of the Committee, Nkem
Abonta, directed the secretariat to send reminders to the agencies
and asked them to appear on September 19.

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petition,
yesterday, asked the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA,
to disclose the identifies of persons who tipped them for a raid on
a property belonging to the former First Lady, Dame Patience
Jonathan.

The demand was made at the hearing on a petition recently
submitted by Mrs. Jonathan, alleging harassment by officials of the
Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, the Federal Inland
Revenue Service, FIRS, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA,
as well as the Nigeria Police.

Defending its position, the NDLEA, which was the only respondent
present at the hearing, agreed that it carried out a raid on a
property located at Igbeti Rock Street, Maitama, Abuja.

Represented by a director in the agency, Femi Oloruntoba, the
agency said the raid was carried out based on a tip off.

He said that the law establishing the agency empowers it to
carry out operations, stressing that the identity cards of the
officials were their warrant.

He said that giving pre-information to occupant was usually in
their totem as that would make the suspect hide the substance.

The NDLEA scribe was however, confronted with the question of
whether the agency tenders apology to people in the event of not
discovering anything unlawful from their property.

Earlier, the legal team from Granville Abibo (SAN) & Co, led
by Sammie Somiari, who petitioned the House on behalf of Mrs
Jonathan, had earlier told the committee that the EFCC and other
government agencies had endlessly harassed the former first lady in
the media unjustly.

The team also said that various accounts of the former first
lady including those of Aridolf Jo Resort Wellness and Spa Limited
off Okota Estate and Finchley Top Homes Limited with branches in
Abuja, Port Harcourt and Yenagoa, had been frozen.

According to them, it had not only paralyzed activities of the
ventures but also affected salaries of the staff for months.

“The EFCC has serially orchestrated a design to freeze the
personal accounts of Mrs Jonathan, her siblings and other relations
and associates,” Somaira said.

Ruling on the matter, the chairman of the Committee, Nkem
Abonta, directed the secretariat to send reminders to the agencies
and asked them to appear on September 19.