Written by Taiwo Adisa, Yekini Jimoh and Chris Agbambu
Monday, 14 June 2010
EIGHT armed men in the early hours of Sunday invaded the Abuja home of Senator Gbemi Rukayyah Saraki, daughter of influential Kwara politician and Senate Leader in the Second Republic, Senator Abubakar Olusola Saraki.
Though the armed men did not meet the senator, they shot one of the security men in the house and locked up her domestic employees after ransacking the house for hours.
It was gathered that the men had a field day on arriving at the Maitama, Abuja, home of the senator and that they gained entry into the building after laying siege to the building for sometime.
One of the employees who went to retrieve his phone from a car parked outside the gate was said to have been seized by the armed men who dragged him inside the house. The entire building was said to have been subjected to a serious search by the hoodlums, who frantically demanded to see the senator.
The Nigerian Tribune gathered that the senator, only on Friday left the country without informing many of her associates of her exact destination.
The armed men were said to have arrived at around 1 a.m. on Sunday. They were said to have gained entry some 30 minutes later and left the building at about about 3.30 a.m.
A shocked Senator Saraki told the Nigerian Tribune on the telephone that she could not imagine anyone coming after her life because she had never believed in do-or die politics.
“I thank God that I survived the attack but it is shocking that some people will come after someone’s life because of power. I had received a threat message about a week earlier but I never thought it was going to be that sudden.
“People should realise that power belongs to God and I also firmly believe that my life is in God’s hands. We advise the security agencies to be more vigilant as the 2011 election year comes closer,” the senator said.
A text message sent to Senator Saraki, which was said to have been forwarded to the security operatives read: (sic) “Sen. G. Saraki yr fathers life is at stake. Paid assassins are go after him as from 2moro cal now if you wish 2 save him & know one must know I’m passing u dis info.”
Meanwhile, the Senate has condemned the attack on the senator’s home, saying it is a manifestation of politics of brigandage which should belong to the past.
Senate spokesman, Senator Ayogu Eze, said in a statement on Sunday: “We received with shock, news of the attempt on the life of Senator Gbemisola Saraki. Politics of violence and brigandage belong to our regrettable past and any attempt to return us to that inglorious era is unfortunate and completely unacceptable.
“Political or other differences should be resolved through dialogue and consensus building and not by recourse to thuggery and arm-twisting. We condemn the violation of the sanctity of Senator Saraki's household and the abuse of the constitutional rights of her relations and domestic staff. We call on the Inspector General of Police and other security agencies to step into this matter and fish out the masterminds and the culprits in this heinous act.
“Our new politics should not be foreshadowed by threats of violence and thuggery. This development obviously sends a wrong signal and we urge the police to deal with this matter comprehensively.”
However, the Nigeria Police on Sunday said that the armed invasion of Senator Saraki’s house was a case of burglary.
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command’s spokesman, SP Jimoh Moshood, told the Nigerian Tribune that the control-room of the police received a distress call that some unknown people were noticed in the residence of the senator at about 12.30 a.m. on Sunday.
According to him, a patrol team was immediately despatched to the residence in Maitama, Abuja, but before the police could get there, the hoodlums had left.
However, the senator was not at home when the hoodlums broke in, but it was a neighbour who alerted the police.
The police spokesman added that the police were yet to receive a formal complaint from Senator Saraki, adding that no statement had been made, but investigation was on to ascertain what was removed and subsequent arrest of the suspects.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment