Niger State Police Command has responded to an online publication that stated that there was an assassination attempt on the senator representing Niger East Senatorial district of Niger State at the National Assembly, Senator Mohammed Sani Musa, over the weekend, describing the report as untrue and false.
According to a press statement issued and made available to the newsmen on Sunday in Minna by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Niger State Command, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, “the fact of the incident is that on 03/12/2022 at about 1900hrs, based on a distress call received that some strange and suspicious persons, driving a Toyota Sienna vehicle with Reg. No. FKJ 814 GP invaded the house of a Senator located at Tudun-Wada, Minna.”
The statement added that the Command immediately mobilised tactical teams to the scene, hilighting that the following suspects were arrested: Oladele Peter Akano aged 49yrs ‘m’ of Kuruduma, Abuja, Abdul Salisu aged 31yrs ‘m’ of Gwagwalada, Abuja, Felix Clarkson aged 47yrs ‘m’ of Karo Abuja and Babagana Alhaji aged 39yrs ‘m’ of Chideri-Polo, Maiduguri respectively.
Abiodun said: “During interrogation, the suspects claimed that they were mobilised by one Sherrif, a purported whistleblower who was reportedly claiming to be working with a security agency at Abuja but presently at large.”
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The said Sherrif “invited Akano, who is a teacher in a private school at Abuja. He also invited Clarkson, an instructor in a private institute ‘INSMO’ Abuja, Salisu who is a plumber from Gwagwalada, provided hammer and chisel for housebreaking and Babagana Alhaji, with five others presently at large.”
The suspects were however said to have confessed further that Sherrif stated there are foreign currencies and arms kept in the residence of the politician, hence they travelled from Abuja to Minna for a purported execution of search without any warrant.
The suspects were, however, quoted to have said that on getting to the residence, the security operatives attached to the house suspected the fake team and raised the alarm for reinforcement, while the Police operatives attached to Tudun-Wada Division and Anti-kidnapping team of the Command were drafted to the scene.
Abiodun explained that “four among the suspects were arrested with the said Toyota Sienna vehicle while others took to their heels on sighting the Police reinforcement teams.”
Meanwhile, the suspects were said to have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID) Minna for discreet investigation, adding that investigation was ongoing with a view to apprehending other members of the gang.
“The Commissioner of Police, Niger State Command CP Ogundele J. Ayodeji, enjoined members of the public to disregard such report of the assassination attempt of a Senator, as the said politician was not in Minna as at the time of the incident,” the statement maintained.
