Security Agencies Lay Siege on Nigeria’s Democracy as Saraki, Ekweremadu defy Buhari

In a desperate attempt to ridicule Nigeria’s democracy, officers of The Nigeria Police and EFCC following orders from above disbursed emergency invitation letters to leaders of the Nigerian Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki and Senator Ike Ekweremadu to appear at their offices by 8am and 10am respectively violating the customary 24 hours prior notice standards.

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris wrote the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, to appear at the office of Nigeria Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) in Abuja, over the death of 23 people killed in the robbery incident that took place in Offa, Kwara state, in April this year.

The letter was dated Monday the 23rd of July and sent by 8pm at night instructing Dr Saraki to present himself at the IRT offices by 8am the next morning. This was not just an abuse of office by the IGP but a direct violation and disrespect of the office of the Senate President, the 3rd highest office in the land.

Reacting to the disgraceful events, Dr Saraki stated that the invitation to him by the Police over the Offa robbery investigation is a mere afterthought, which is designed to achieve a sinister political purpose. He made an official statement saying that he had it on good authority that the Police had already decided on the suspects to arraign in court in Ilorin, Kwara State on Wednesday based on the advice of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mohammed U.E. and that the turn around to invite him was a ploy aimed at scoring cheap political points.

Saraki decried the timing of the invitation as it was right before an alleged plan by some Senators and House of Representatives members from leaving the All Progressives Congress (APC). The President of the Senate’s fears were confirmed when Police men allegedly acting on the orders of the IG laid seige on his house at about 6am in the morning despite inviting him to appear by 8am.

In an unexpected but unsurprising turn of events, the home of the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ikweremadu was also barricaded by officials of the Department of State Police(DSS) and the EFCC.

The EFCC has sent a letter of invitation to him earlier in the morning asking him to appear in their office by 10am. It would be extremely naive to consider the The timing of the two invitation letters as a mere coincidence. It was obvious to Nigerians who were following that the entire drama was a very weak but desperate plot to stop the planned defections by stopping the sitting of federal representatives of the Nigerian people.

It is not the first time that the exective tried to undermine another arm of Government by using instruments of the state and otherwise independent institutions. You would recall that The DSS attacked several Supreme Court and High court Judges in 2016 in an obvious affront against the Nigerian Judicary.

The disregard for the rule of law and misuse of state institutions under the Buhari administration is a growing concern for Nigerians as we approach the elections next year.

The anti-corrption fight is turning out to be an attack against political opponents, with the new executive order that seems to target the President’s adversaries, it is quite obvious that Nigeria may slide into a gestapo state before the next elections due to the current administration’s desperation to hold on to power

Nigerians have seen first hand the desperation of President Buhari to hold on to power as the road to 2019 becomes broader, however there is a serious sense of unease around Nigerians as they know that today was just the beginning of acts of desperation that will be thrown into play on the road to 2019.