Four officers had carried out a raid on Clark's house on Tuesday, September 4, 2018, allegedly based on a tipoff that he was stockpiling weapons. The search yielded no discovery to prove the allegation and attracted widespread condemnation from Nigerians.

While the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, denied any knowledge of the invasion, he ordered the detention and investigation of the four police officers who carried out the raid as well as the immediate presentation of the informant to the media before his prosecution.

In a media briefing on Wednesday, September 5, Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, said Yakubu, from Waru Village, Apo District, Abuja, will be arraigned in court for giving false information and telling falsehood to mislead police action.

How I got information - Informant

When questioned, Yakubu disclosed that he obtained the information he passed along to the Police from a taxi driver who said weapons were being stockpiled in Clark's house.

He said, "The whole street was blocked; no way in, no way out. So, I asked questions and it was the taxi driver that told me that this is the area Niger Delta people live. He then pointed to a truck entering the compound at the time.

"I checked the compound and discovered it is House 43. It was a white Hilux and it was sealed. The driver told me that the Hilux was full of ammunition, and I said 'what!'

"As an indigene of FCT, we are peace-loving people. I couldn't take that and that is what I said. I asked him if he was sure of the information."

Force disowns officers' action

The Police spokesperson said even though officers have the obligation to act on information from the public, the offending officers failed to follow laid down precedures.

He said, "Notwithstanding, the facts that on daily basis the Nigeria Police Force across the Country receives information from members of the public which were promptly used to prevent and detect crimes and Criminalities, the Force will not condone misconducts by any of its personnel that can run contrary to the rule of law.

"The Police therefore, has the statutory rights to execute a duly obtained search warrant in any premises where it has actionable intelligence or information that incriminating items or exhibits used to commit crime or about to be used for criminality with the aims of recovering them to prevent the commission of such crime or to detect the crime that have been committed.

"Any officer who is to carry out the execution of search warrant must follow the laid down procedures within the law. Where such is not followed, such an officer must be made to face the consequences of violating the rule of law."

The four officers were identified as ASP David Dominic, Inspector Godwin Musa, Inspector Sada Abubakar, and Inspector Yabo Paul.

DSP Moshood disclosed that the officer who led the team has been queried and the three Inspectors are undergoing orderly trial for the appropriate punishment to be meted out on them.

IGP apologises to elder statesman over raid of residence in Abuja

Clark accepts IGP's apology

DSP Moshood also disclosed that Chief Edwin Clark has accepted the apology of the Force over the incidence after he was visited by a high-level delegation on Wednesday.

The IGP sent a delegation that comprised of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Operations), Joshiak Habila, and some Commissioners of Police to apologise for the raid.

"The delegation was received by Chief Edwin Clark and the apology was accepted by him," he said.