5 arrested for planned attack on Goodluck Jonathan's home

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.”