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London Police Raid The Home Of Nigerian High Commissioner by TMemos: 7:32am On Jun 29, 2010
Nigerian Compass Tuesday June 29, 2010


Nigerians in the United Kingdom are angry with the British Government over a raid of the Hendon, North London home of the High Commissioner, Senator Dalhatu Sarki Tafida.

In a case the police authorities labeled as ‘mistaken identity’, detectives from Scotland Yard said they raided the home because they suspected that a cannabis factory was there.

Before the operation, the security agents got a search warrant and stormed the house only to discover that it belongs to Tafida, a former Senator from Kaduna State who was sent to London by the former President, the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

The raid was a confirmation that technology is not absolutely error free because the specially-built helicopter used to detect that there was a cannabis factory in the house got a warm temperature from the residence due to the heating system and mistook it for “signs of a cannabis factory”.

The helicopter, using thermal imaging equipment, spotted what appeared to be a higher than normal amount of heat coming from the roof.

To aid the growth of the illegal crop, drug farms, especially in Latin America, use high-powered lights which give off huge amount of heat.

Tafida was not at home during the raid. He was in his official residence at Camden, Nottinghill, in West London.

The raid took place penultimate Thursday, during a cold spell and the central heating system in the house was turned up to the maximum.

When the detectives stormed the house, they were embarrassed as they did not find any trace of drug. Rather, it was discovered that it was the heating system that confused the helicopter.

A lawyer in Central London, Mr. Ayo Ajayi, said the action of the agents was a breach of international law “and what makes it worse is that nothing was found in his house”.

Mr. Iyke Chukwudi, an architect, said it was wrong for the British government not to have apologised to Nigeria publicly after the raid.

“It is totally and completely wrong. That it was his personal house does not matter. They should have apologisedpublicly to our High Commissioner. Can they do that to the American Ambassador? That is absolute nonsense. That their equipment deceived them is begging the issue. They should apologise,” he said.

Another Nigerian, who simply called himself Alhaji, said if the Nigerian government had put its house in order, “such an embarrassment would not have come the way of our ambassador”.

He insisted that the Federal Government should protest to the British Ambassador to Nigeria.

London’s EveningStandard, which also reported the incident yesterday, quoted a police source: “We can confirm a warrant to search for cannabis plants was executed at a home in North London on June 17 by officers acting on information from the Met Air Support Unit. There were no drugs found and no arrests made. Further enquiries traced the heat source to the heating system.”

A spokesman for the Nigerian High Commission said the embassy would not take the matter to the ‘extreme’.

“We accept the explanation that the helicopter detected something but that these things don’t necessarily work with fine precision,” he said.
Re: London Police Raid The Home Of Nigerian High Commissioner by ikamefa(f): 7:36am On Jun 29, 2010
" grin "

" grin "

" grin "

this story reminds me of WEEDS on HBO cheesy

did they check well? i mean the basements et all grin grin
Re: London Police Raid The Home Of Nigerian High Commissioner by Vindy: 7:42am On Jun 29, 2010
Pls wats HBO?
Re: London Police Raid The Home Of Nigerian High Commissioner by Browser69(m): 8:07am On Jun 29, 2010
E be like say d commissioner na coward, why he no demand public apology from Met police? Shior

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