The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has frowned at the raid on the residence of the former Managing Director of the Interim Committee of the Niger-Delta Development Commission, Joi Nunieh by the police on Thursday.
The police had in the early hours of Thursday laid siege at Nunieh’s residence at 3, Owuru Creek view, off Herbert Macaulay Street, Old GRA, Port Harcourt.
SERAP, while reacting to the development, urged police and security agencies to focus on investigating grave allegations of corruption in NDDC rather than harassing Nunieh.
It said the harassment was apparently a plan to stop Nunieh from speaking out on corruption in NDDC.
“We condemn the harassment and intimidation of Joy Nunieh, former acting MD of NDDC by the Nigeria Police apparently to stop her from speaking out on the grave allegations of grand corruption in NDDC and impunity at the highest level of the agency.
“The former NDDC Managing Director was due to appear before a House panel in Abuja, for alleged misuse of N40 billion NDDC funds by the Interim Management Committee (IMC)”.
Nunieh and Godswill Akpabio, Niger Delta Minister, have been engaged in a shouting match over the crisis rocking the NDCC.
SERAP added that silencing or harassing her would not resolve concerns being raised by Nigerians over corruption allegations in NDDC.
“Nigerian authorities should focus on promptly and thoroughly investigating the grave allegations of corruption she has made instead of harassing and intimidating her for raising these allegations if the authorities are truly committed to fighting corruption in the country.
“Storming Joy Nunieh’s residence and silencing her isn’t going to resolve Nigerians’ concerns over the growing and widespread allegations of corruption and impunity in NDDC,” the tweet added.
