Apology over raid on family home

Police on Tyneside have apologised to a university lecturer after riot officers mistakenly raided his family home.

Dr Ike-Elechi Ogba said his wife and three young children were traumatised when officers broke down the door of his Newcastle home.

The Northumbria University lecturer said he was handcuffed and told to "shut his mouth and co-operate" while officers searched for drugs.

Northumbria Police said they had received incorrect intelligence.

Dr Ogba said: "I was like 'who are you, what do you want, what are you doing here?'.

"And before I could finish saying it they held my hands and put handcuffs on me.

"And that's when it dawned on me because they were all shouting. And I don't know what they were saying."

His wife Faith Ike-Elechi said there was a big bang at the door.

She said: "I literally began to shake. I was... in panic."

The raid was one of a number being carried out by the force to close down cannabis factories.

"Unfortunately it appears that on this occasion the intelligence we had received was incorrect and the family have no connection whatsoever with this police operation," the force said in a statement.

"We have already apologised to them in person and are doing everything we can to address what was a genuine mistake made by officers acting with the best of intentions."

Dr Ogba, who has three children under the age of 10, is a senior lecturer in marketing management at the university's business school.

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
Northumbria Police
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites