A Kogi High Court Judge, Justice Yunusa Musa, has alleged police invasion of his residence to conduct a search without a warrant.
Briefing newsmen on Sunday in Lokoja, Musa of Kogi High Court 5, said that the alleged incident took place at his residence in Lokoja on Monday, July 8, while he was away for work.
Musa said that policemen searched all his rooms, including those of his wife and children, without any form of notice of offence or a search warrant.
According to him, the police ought to have informed him of their mission.
“When my wife and children told me about their experiences in the hands of the invading policemen on Monday, I thought they were men of Special Anti Robbery Squard.
“I know I have not committed any offence to warrant such a visit to my house.
“It was in the office, the following day, that I got to know that DCP Polycarp Dibia of Kogi State Police command, Criminal Investigation Department, was behind the invasion over an alleged issue involving my security guard.”
Musa said that the police officer, in a letter dated July 9, 2019, instructed him (Musa) to produce one Nelson over alleged assault.
“The house is not for my security guard; if the police authority can write to my office, for me to produce the alleged offender, that is to say the police knew that this house is mine, not his.
“I know, by my knowledge of the law, and being on the bench for 20 years, that it is unlawful to search a house without a warrant.
“A offence committed by somebody else cannot be visited on another person because there is no precarious liability in a criminal offence.
“You cannot transfer offence of Mr A to Mr B. The law of the land does not permit that,” Musa argued.
He asked why the police invaded and searching his house rather than the house of the alleged offender since there was no precarious liability in crime.
“My fear is whether the police have planted incriminating items in my house that may serve as a platform for future victimisation,” he said.
On whether he had heard from Nelson, the judge said, “I couldn’t get in touch with him because he travelled to his village and they don’t have network in their village.
“Please note, it was when I got this letter from the deputy commissioner of police that I knew they were in my house because of my security guard.
“The shock of the incident has not enabled me to know if any document or property is missing in my house or something was planted,” he told journalists.
When contacted, the Kogi State Police Public Relation Officer, DSP Williams Aya, told NAN that he had yet to be briefed on the matter.
(NAN)
