Drama as police officers block EFCC agents from raiding Adamu’s Abuja residence

Anti-graft agents came under attack on Sunday night while trying to enforce a search warrant at the Abuja residence of Abdullahi Adamu, chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress.

It was gathered that the agents from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arrived around 8:00 pm at Mr Adamu’s house on Ali Akilu Crescent, by Aso Rock Presidential Villa, and immediately met resistance from police orderlies attached to the politician.

A standoff immediately was said to have ensued, after the police officers said no one would be permitted to enter the premises because it was already past 6:00 p.m. The officers insisted, despite being shown a warrant duly signed by a judge. The content of the warrant was not immediately clear, but Mr Adamu had faced corruption allegations whose probe might still be active.

The officers arrived in four trucks, spent hours trying unsuccessfully to resolve the matter. No casualties were reported during the standoff, which a source described as “physically intense.” Spokespersons for the police and the EFCC were not available for comment between the small hours of Monday and at the opening of business.

The confrontation came as pressure intensified for Mr Adamu to quit as the national chairman of the ruling party. The push hinged largely on Mr Adamu’s failure to support President Bola Tinubu during the APC’s presidential primary in June 2022. The party chairman also did not support Mr Tinubu during the presidential election, although he attended campaign rallies in what party insiders said was a face-saving measure.

Five months after the presidential election and six weeks after Mr Tinubu was sworn in as president, Mr Adamu’s continued occupation of the party’s leadership had become increasingly untenable, according to sources.

Mr Adamu all but admitted on television last week that he had differences with the president that date back to the primaries and 2023 campaign proper, but downplayed their severity overall.

Mr President has not publicly commented on Mr Adamu’s fate, but there were indications over the weekend that unknown aides to the President tried to pressure Mr Adamu to step down ahead of the president’s return from an African Union summit in Nairobi.

On Sunday night, media outlets run by Mr Tinubu’s aides circulated reports that Mr Adamu had stepped down following a concerted intervention by the national security adviser Nuhu Ribadu, as well as Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo.

As at the time of filing the report, when Nigerian Tribune contacted the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, to know the role of FCT Police Command in the saga, she said she was driving and would get back but after several messages and different calls were placed to her thereafter, she did not reply or pick calls.