Former Vice President and presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has alleged that four persons, who plotted to attack him, have been arrested by the police in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.
Reacting to the incident, PDP said it was alarmed, and it demanded a comprehensive investigation into the matter.
Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, also called on the federal government to urgently investigate the attack on Atiku and beef up security around him.
In a statement by his media aide, Paul Ibe, Atiku said, “We wish to alert the Nigerian public that about 9:44pm on Sunday, 23 July, 2023, a man seeking to confirm the residence of His Excellency Atiku Abubakar in Yola was apprehended at the gate of the residence.
“The man, who was apprehended by security operatives at the residence of Atiku Abubakar, was later handed over to the police. Upon further interrogation by the police, the suspect identified himself as 29-year-old Jubrila Mohammed and confessed to being a Boko Haram member from Damboa in Borno State.
“The suspect also informed the police that he and his colleagues, who were later arrested, too, intended to attack organisations associated with Atiku Abubakar and some other sensitive locations in Yola.
“We commend the police for the work that they continue to do in this particular investigation. We further ask that other relevant security agencies remain on top of their brief.”
A statement by PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, said the party insisted that by the confession of the arrested assailants, the plot had the pawmarks of a sponsored attempt on Atiku’s life, ostensibly by forces unsettled by his bid to retrieve his mandate at the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC).
Ologunagba stated, “Our party believes that the intent of the sponsors of this evil plot is to silence our presidential candidate, massacre innocent Nigerians and cause chaos, confusion and anarchy in the polity.
“The PDP asks, is this foiled attack on Atiku Abubakar and sensitive locations in Yola, Adamawa, connected to the recent APC’s threats of chaos and anarchy in the country, if the PEPC upholds the clear provisions of Section 134 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) with regard to the mandatory and statutory requirements for which a candidate in a presidential election can be declared winner?
“Could it also be a plan to orchestrate a sense of insecurity in the country, starting in Adamawa State, the home state of our presidential candidate so as to justify the imposition of a state of emergency in Adamawa State as a precursor to a declaration of a state of emergency throughout the country?
“Our party charges the Inspector General of Police to take the lead provided by the confession of the assailants to track down their sponsors and bring them to book in the interest of the security, unity and wellbeing of our nation.
“The federal government has a duty and obligation to Nigerians and, indeed, the whole world to ensure that the perpetrators of these dastardly act and their sponsors are brought to book. This particular investigation is important to the country because of the scope and dimension of the attempted attack.
“Our party commends the collaborative effort of the vigilant people of Yola, Adamawa State, and security agencies in foiling the attack, while urging Nigerians to remain calm and alert as the authorities commence investigation to fish out those behind this evil plot.”
On his part, Frank, who called the attention of the international community to the developments in Nigeria, bemoaned the alleged attempt on Atiku’s life at his residence in Yola on Sunday.
In a statement, Frank said the arrested suspect confessed to the police a grand plot to plant bombs at the Modibbo Adama Central Mosque, the residence of Atiku, as well as the American University in Yola.
He stated, “These confessions of the dreaded Boko Haram sect are troubling and worrisome, as this is the first time an attempted attack of this magnitude would be planned on the person of HE Atiku Abubakar.
“Having received the official Police HQ Situation Report, we would like to call on the federal government to, as a matter of urgency, beef up adequate security around the former vice president, with swift investigation into unravelling the circumstances leading to Atiku as a target by this group.”
Chuks Okocha in Abuja
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