For two times in four months, Deputy Senate President, Professor Ike Ekweremadu, had to contend with some unwanted visitors to his Abuja residence.
The first was in July this year, when a combined team of members of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) invaded his Apo Legislative Quarters residence in Abuja, and for several hours, held him hostage, preventing him from leaving the house to attend to his legislative duties.
Nigerians in their numbers cried out against that invasion, which they believed was a breach to the fundamental rights of Senator Ike Ekweremadu to his freedom of movement, and called on relevant authorities to take appropriate action with a view to preventing future occurrence. In spite of that public outcry, there was nothing concrete the government did. They merely swept the matter under the carpet.
Just last Tuesday, November 6, 2018, Ekweremadu’s residence at Apo Legislative Quarters in Abuja was again invaded by some unknown persons, who got all the way to his bedroom, where he was sleeping with his wife, which according to Ekweremadu, was aimed “at assassinating” him.
His words: “It was about 4 am, some people evaded the security in my house and got all the way to my room, where I was sleeping with my wife. There was a struggle, and by the grace of God, we caught one of them. The rest escaped”.
Ekweremadu further explained that the arrested culprit was later handed over to the police, but however expressed serious reservations about the attitude of the police towards the whole incident
Narrating his ugly experience in the hands of our law enforcement agents, those who are paid and sustained by the taxpayers money, Ekweremadu said:
“The annoying aspects of it or the one that is worrisome is that at that point, I called the Inspector General of Police, but his phone was off.
“I called some of his aides, their phones rang out, and nobody replied till now. I called DIG Operations, till I left my house, nobody showed up.
“I then had my people invite DPO in charge of APO Police Station. We didn’t see him till about 5.30 am. He sent his second-in-command who came and saw the dangerous weapons that the invaders left behind. He left and said the DPO was coming. Until I left my house by 9am, the DPO had not come.”
For us, the only thing we could deduce from the whole drama is the fact that if those at the top did not have any hand in the incident, obviously, they knew a priori what was about to happen.
We have witnessed similar things happen before. During an armed robbery operation, for instance, you call the police. They will not respond or come. But long after the incident, they will rush in and begin to shout: “wey them?, wey them?”. And everybody will know that it is a planned deal.
In the present case, why did the IG of Police switch off his phone? Supposing the President wanted to reach him? Why did his aides refuse to pick the calls, and even failed to call back later?
Why did the DIG Operations or the DPO in charge of Apo Police Station failed to show up? These are worrying questions. In fact, everything smells fishy.
Besides, if the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, the Number Five Man in Nigeria, could passed through all these ordeals in the hands of the Nigerian Police, then, nobody is safe here in the country
Ekweremadu currently represents Enugu West Senatorial District in the Senate. He has been there since 2003. Even now, he has won his party’s return ticket to the Senate in 2019. If he wins in the general election slated for February next year, he will go back to the Upper Legislative Chamber. The people of Enugu West do not have anything against him. They are satisfied with his representation.
Ekweremadu is also the Deputy President of the Senate. He has occupied that enviable position since 2007. He did not usurp, or grab the position by force. He was voted in by his colleagues. If his colleagues were not satisfied with his leadership, they would have removed him. But they did not, which means that he enjoys their confidence and support.
Why therefore, are some people after Ekweremadu’s life? Why do they want him dead? What did he do to them?
This should be thoroughly investigated. Unfortunately, the police have already come out with an innocuous claim that this was the case of burglary, even before coming to the scene of the incident, and carrying out their investigation.
We know that some people might not be so happy with Ekweremadu, perhaps, due to his rising political profile. But why envy him? Is it because the man plays the politics of ideas, the politics of superior argument, and equitable distribution of democracy dividends?
