Five planners on the attack on former president GOODLUCK JONATHAN arrested by the police

Five persons have been arrested in Bayelsa State
for an alleged plan to attack the house of former
President Goodluck Jonathan in Yenagoa.

The suspects were said to have been apprehended
in a hotel in Swali area of Yenagoa as they were
perfecting strategies to unleash an attack on the
former President’s house.
The names of the suspects, who are all males, were
given as, Asupha Emeka, 34; Ebipre Ebebi, 25;
Samuel Joe, 27; Okilo Matthew, 25; and Timiere
Matthew, 25.
It could not be ascertained the motive behind the
plot to attack Jonathan, however, it was learnt that
the incident was part of the measures to create
tension in the state ahead of the Saturday
supplementary poll.
It was also learnt that the suspects were thugs loyal
to a candidate of one of the frontline political
parties in the state.
Confirming the arrest of the suspects, Police Public
Relations Officer, Bayelsa State Command, Asinim
Butswat, said their apprehension was based on a
tip-off.
The spokesperson said, “On the January 6, 2016, at
about 1500hrs, based on a tip-off, detectives from
the Anti-Kidnapping and Anti-Vice unit stormed a
hotel premises in Swali community, Yenagoa, and
arrested five suspects.
“The suspects are Asupha Emeka, Ebipre Ebebi,
Samuel Joe, Okilo Matthew and Timiere Matthew.”
Though he did not indicate the name of the
personality they were planning to attack, Butswat
said the suspects were drawing a plan to launch an
attack on a yet-to-be identified location.
He added that the suspects were currently
undergoing interrogation and that investigation was
ongoing.
However, a security source, who craved anonymity,
said the planned attack on Jonathan’s residence
was designed in such a way as to give the
impression that the opposition was after the life of
Jonathan.
He said, “The planned attack on Jonathan’s house
was to give an impression of violence ahead of the
supplementary election in the state. What the
mastermind intends to achieve through that is what I
cannot fathom.
“You know this is the time of politics when
politicians design all manner of tricks, crisis and
strategies to heat up the polity. This is one of
those aspects of dangerous politics they are
playing.
“The ringleader of this dastardly act, we learnt is a
member of Jonathan’s party. The whole plot was
contrived to give the impression that the opposition
is the one responsible.”

Source; vanguardngr