By AbdulRaheem Aodu Kaduna
Armed operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Off ences Commission (ICPC) and Department of State Security (DSS), yesterday raided No. 1 Alimi Road, Kaduna, residence of former Vice President Namadi Sambo. Th e ICPC operatives blocked major roads leading to the residence to steer motorists and other passersby plying the road away, while other operatives were said to have gone into the residence for searching, accordingto eyewitnesses.
Th e anti-corruption crusaders, who came with a Toyota Hilux Van and a Coaster bus, loaded with operatives, blocked the main road with a dark-coloured Toyota Corolla and turned back other road users from the scene of the operation. Th e combined operatives raided the house for about 2 hours, Blueprint learnt, but when our correspondent visited the house, he observed pilot vehicles leading other vehicles out of the residence. A resident, who does not want his name in print, said that the operatives came into the residence threatening to shoot anybody that mill around the house.
“Th ey came at about 3:00pm and left at about some minutes to 5:00pm. As they came, they warned that anybody that moves close to the house would be shot.” Our correspondent learnt from an eyewitness that they came in with an expert “in an overall uniform” apparently to gain access into locked rooms of the house by breaking in through the ceiling in the house. “When they came out, they look so rough, evidence that they broke into in the house. We saw police, SARS, DSS and we are trying to confi rm from them their mission and they told us that they are here to search,” he said. Reacting, Sambo said it had become a routine as they usually found nothing after such raid. Speaking through his spokesman, Malam Umar Sani, he said the ICPC offi cials came with a court order to search the place but found nothing.
According to him, it is not the fi rst time the house was being searched as they have carried out the routine exercise for fi ve times. He said: “Th is is not the fi rst time they are searching the house. Th ey have been coming to search the house on several occasions. Today, they came with a court order and gave a copy of the court order to the CSO (Chief Security Offi cer) in the house. “After they fi nished the search, they wrote at the back page of the court order that they gave to the CSO that they didn’t fi nd anything and they left. So, we are not surprised because it has now become a routine activity.”
