Police Disrupt Anti-Corruption Colloquium

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A detachment of policemen who claimed to be acting on the orders of Mohammed Abubakar, the Inspector General of Police on Tuesday morning took over the Conference Hall of NICON Luxury Hotel, Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, venue of a two-day international colloquium on Freedom of Information Act organised by Dino Melaye-led Anti-Corruption Network.

The policemen entered the hall and scattered the seating arrangement and barricaded the venue.

Local and international invitees for the event, including Alhaji Balarabe Musa, who had arrived for the event, were left in the lurch after the police action.

P.M.NEWS gathered that the police had invaded the hotel early this morning to stop the programme billed to be chaired by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Senator David Mark, the President of the Senate was listed as the guest of honour in a brochure of the event made available to P.M.NEWS.

Aminu Tambuwal, the Speaker of the House of Representatives,  Mohammed Bello Adoke, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation and Professor Femi Odekunle as well as Barrister Femi Falana were some of those also listed to participate in the colloquium with the title: Demystfying the Complexities-Empowering the People.

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Civil society groups were also billed to participate in the colloquium. He added that representatives of government agencies like the National Orientation Agency were also invited for the programme.

Reacting to the disruption of the programme, Melaye said the police, the army and other government agencies were informed and also invited to  the programme.

He also said the office of the AGF gave his association guidelines for the programmes.

“It is a big suprsie that an international colloquium that is being organized to support the freedom of information is being stopped. I don’t know what the IG is afraid of,” Dino said.

“We are not going to keep quiet on this. We are going to consult our lawyers,” he added.

—Oluwafemi Ipaye/Abuja

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