Armed police officers on Thursday stormed the residence of a former adviser to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on Niger Delta affairs, Kingsley Kuku, in Arogbo, Ese-Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The gun wielding police officers, about 20, shot continuously into the air to scare members of the small community before breaking into the house to ransack it.

Mr Kuku had issues of corruption with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) relating to the administration of the Amnesty Programme of the Jonathan administration which he directly supervised. He is believed to have gone into hiding in a foreign country to avoid prosecution.

The shooting caused serious panic among the residents of the town, forcing many of them to run away from the community.

A resident told journalists that the police told them they were searching for kidnappers.

“They broke into every room and everywhere in Kuku’s house, claiming to search for kidnappers,” he said.

“After searching all the rooms in the house in commando-style, they left without finding anything incriminating or any kidnapper in the house.”

Confirming the operation, the Police Public Relations Officer in Ondo State, Femi Joseph, said the police officers were from the the Force Headquarters, Abuja, ”on lawful mission.”

He said the action of the police officers was not in breach of any law nor the rights of any person.