Four arrested over invasion of Niger Senator’s residence

Four people have been arrested over an invasion of the residence of Senator Sani Musa (Niger East) in Minna.

The suspects were among the armed men who invaded the Senator’s residence along the popular old Alheri Clinic road, Tunga area in Minna, the state capital on Saturday night.

They claimed to have been acting based on information after lodging in a hotel in Minna ahead of the planned attack on the Senator’s house.

It was learnt the Senator, who was in Minna on Saturday morning, had left for Abuja after attending the official ceremony for the coronation and presentation of Staff of Office to the 2nd Emir of Kagara, Alhaji Ahmed Garba Gunna (Attahiru 11) in Kagara.

The suspects were said to have secured the services of two people in military uniform to accompany them to the residence of the Senator.

The two suspects in military uniform, who are on the run, were said to have claimed themselves that they were from the office of the National Security Adviser in Abuja on a search mission and proceeded to disarm the security guards meaning the residence of the Senator.

They forced themselves into the house after which the security manning the gate placed distress calls to the Special Adviser to Governor Sani Bello on political matters, Alhaji Nma Kolo and the All Progressive Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Alhaji Umar Bago who stormed the house with security agents to apprehend the suspects.

The two men in military uniform took to their heels when it was discovered that their plans had been foiled.

A statement by Niger Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Abiodun Wasiu, the invasion of the residence of the Senator was not an assassination attempt, adding it was a case of criminal conspiracy and impersonation.

“The fact of the incident is that on 03/12/2022 at about 1900hrs, based on a distress call received that some strange suspicious persons, driving a Toyota Sienna vehicle with Reg. No. FKJ 814 GP invaded the house of a Senator, located at Tudun-Wada, Minna.”

He said that the suspects arrested include Oladele Peter Akano 49; Abdul Salisu 31; Felix Clarkson 47 and Babagana Alhaji, 39 all from Abuja.

Wasiu said the suspects confessed that they were mobilized to search the residence of the Senator on the basis that he kept foreign currency.

“During interrogation, the suspects claimed that they were mobilized by one Sherrif, a purported whistleblower who was reportedly claiming to be working with a security agency at Abuja but presently at large.

“The said Sherrif invited Akano, who is a teacher in a private school in Abuja. He also invited Clarkson, an instructor in a private institute ‘INSMO’ Abuja, Salisu who is a plumber from Gwagwalada, provided a hammer and chisel for housebreaking, and Babagana Alhaji, with five others presently at large.

“The suspects confessed further that Sherrif stated there are foreign currency and arms kept in the residence of the Politician, hence they traveled from Abuja to Minna for a purported execution of search without any warrant.”

The PPRO said that the four suspects were arrested with the Toyota Sienna vehicle while others took to their heels, on sighting the Police reinforcement teams adding that the suspects have been transferred to SCID Minna for discreet investigation.