Ameh Ejekwonyilo
The future of the families of eight mobile policemen is hanging in the balance over alleged burglary at the official residence of the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.
The policemen, who were arrested and detained since last Tuesday, are being held at the Asokoro Police Division for allegedly breaking into the minister’s house where they were on guard.
One of the detained cops who pleaded not to be named in print told Blueprint that the minister had travelled and returned only to discover that some of her belongings were missing.
He alleged that whatever was missing from the minister’s residence wasstolen by her cook as he was the only person who came to the house in the minister’s absence.
The source reliably informed this reporter that a team of police detectives ransacked the residences of the detained policemen, but found nothing incriminating.
He said: “The same team of police detectives went to the cook’s house only to discover that he had disappeared into thin air with his family.
“Yet we are being held here since last Tuesday, being June 3, 2014, without being charged to court.”
Our findings yesterday at the Asokoro Police Division showed that the policemen were still being held in detention after six days of their arrest.
A police source at the detention facility, who pleaded anonymity, confirmed the detention to our correspondent, but refused to comment further on why the suspects had not been arraigned after 48 hours of their arrest and detention.
Checks at the division’s Detention Board corroborated the earlier information from sources as the board read the name of one Inspector Sadik and seven others being held for “alleged servant theft.”
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Atini Daniel, denied knowledge of the matter.
Efforts to reach the minister and her media aide for comments at the time of filing in this report proved abortive.
