*Says Army invaded his country home breaking security doors

*Begs state actors to let him live in peace, treated with deserved respect

Ijaw leader and First Republic Federal Commissioner for Information, Chief Edwin Clark, on Tuesday, raised the alarm over threat to his life, appealing to be let to live in peace till God calls him.

The elder statesman also warned that if his death is linked to any dubious means by some overzealous state actors, it may set the country on fire.

Chief Clark, 97, gave a graphic detail at a press conference in Abuja of how his country home in Kiagbodo, Delta State, was invaded by officers of the Nigerian Army on Saturday March 23, 2024, doors broken and university lecturers and his domestic staff residing in his adjourning house maltreated and forced to sit down on bare floor.

He said the incident took place few days after he featured on ARISE Newsnight on the killing of 17 soldiers in Okuama community in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.

He said that someone who identified himself as the commanding officer, Nigerian Army Division in Port Harcourt, had called to tell him that a tracker of the Nigerian Army, had tracked one Mr. Vote, the community Chairman of Okuama Community, whom the Army was looking for in respect of the killings of the 17 men of the Nigerian Army, to a house in Ughelli and that the military men had broken into the house, ransacked it, before they were informed that the house belongs to me, that he was very sorry and apologising to me on behalf of the Army. 

“In my usual way and as a leader who is expected to condone as much as possible, I accepted his apology wholeheartedly, but told him that I do not own a house in Ughelli, that the house he is referring to, could be my father’s. 

“I went on to sympathise with the Nigerian Army over the gruesome murder of the soldier, an action I had condemned severally the moment I heard of it in the news. 

“I assured him that we will all work within our powers to avail the security agencies with any available information that would unravel the whole thing and bring the perpetrators to book. We ended the discussion on a cordial note.

“It was not long after that, I was inundated with calls from my home, Kiagbodo, telling me how the Army had invaded my country home by land and by air. 

“That they came in about five trucks loaded with armed soldiers numbering between 30 and 40. 

“They invaded my house, used their legs to break open all the doors in the compound including the security door to my sitting room which was locked because I reside in Abuja. 

“At the same time, flying their drone within the premises. Some of them went to the buildings behind the main house, and also broke all the doors that were locked. 

“They marched out my staff living in those buildings, including lecturers at the university; made them to sit on the bare ground”. 

Chief Clark recalled how men of the Tactical Squad of the Nigeria Police, attached to the Office of the Inspector-General of Police, on 4th September, 2018, at about 12 noon, stormed his house in Abuja with a bus load, fully armed, with a Search Warrant from a Magistrate Court in Abuja, bearing Mrs. Helen Clark, but with the address of my house on it, that they had come to search the house; that they had information that arms from the Niger Delta were being stockpiled there. 

“I identified myself, and told them that there was no one named Helen Clark, living with me in the house. 

“I spoke with the then Deputy Inspector General of Police, Operations. But they insisted on carrying out their search. With a very clear conscience, I allowed them to go ahead with their mission. 

“They took their time to search every space in the compound, including my bedroom, but found nothing incriminating”. He stated that even though he applied for the search report he was yet to get it, while the incident was seen in some quarters as life threatening. He listed several senior military officers, including girmer heads of state whom he relates with as well as attending ceremonies at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), and wondered why he should be treated with disdain. Acvording to him, “if my death is linked to any dubious means by some overzealous state actors, no one can tell how far the fire will rage.

“I want to use this medium to kindly appeal to all concerned to work assiduously to unravel what happened and bring the perpetrators to book. 

“The earlier this matter is concluded the better, as it will also avail the affected communities which are almost locked down today, without adequate food and water, the chance of returning to normal life”.