Oyo State-based investigative journalist, Fatteh Hamid, has strongly condemned a police raid at his home during an anti-cybercrime operation, accusing the officers of unlawful invasion and intimidation, which left his family deeply traumatized.

In a statement shared on his social media platforms, Hamid detailed how, on Tuesday, January 13, armed officers from the Anti-Cybercrime Unit at the Eleyele Police Headquarters allegedly forced their way into his residence, without prior notice or invitation. The officers questioned him about his personal finances and neighbors while searching his home in the presence of his wife and toddler.

Hamid, a well-established journalist, claimed the officers ignored his profession and proceeded with the search. He stated that when the officers saw his award plaques, they dismissed his career, suggesting he could have fabricated them to disguise himself as a journalist.

He said, “When they entered my apartment, they saw plaques of awards I have won as a journalist and told me I could have made those awards to disguise myself as a journalist.”

Hamid explained that the officers insisted on searching his phone, threatening him with weapons when he refused. He said, “I insisted that my phone could not be taken, and they threatened me with their weapons. All of this happened in front of my wife and my child who is less than two years old.” Despite the threats, Hamid complied, fearing for his family’s safety.

The police allegedly searched his phone for any links to internet fraud but found no such evidence. “They searched through my phone, looking for any information that might connect me to internet fraud, and they found nothing,” Hamid confirmed.

Further investigation revealed that the police raid affected other residents of his estate. Hamid said, “It was after this that I discovered they had ransacked several houses in my estate and illegally arrested many residents.”

The raid, which has left Hamid’s family feeling unsafe in their own home, has raised concerns about the legality of the officers’ actions. Hamid questioned the justification for the search and the seizure of his phone under duress, while also highlighting the broader implications for civil liberties.

“My family has not been the same since this experience. We are deeply traumatised and now feel unsafe in our own home,” he said. “Are police officers now allowed to break into people’s homes, invade their privacy, and threaten their wives and children?”

Hamid concluded his statement by challenging the actions of the officers, stating, “No Nigerian should be treated like a criminal in their own home without due process.”