Gunmen Attack Goodluck Jonathan’s Home In Otuoke, Kill 1 Soldier, Injure Others

[Edoman]

Kinsmen to security agencies: Unmask sponsors, attackers of Jonathan’s residence







•Former President, Goodluck Jonathan

 Leading kinsmen of former President Goodluck Jonathan have expressed worries over the silence of security agencies after the attack on the courtyard of former President Goodluck Jonathan in Bayelsa State.

The kinsmen, who described the incident as unimaginable, urged security agencies to expedite investigation, arrest the attackers and principally their sponsors.

Some gunmen had on December 24 killed a soldier on guard and wounded others when they attacked the courtyard situated close to the bank of the river at Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area, Bayelsa State.

The gunmen came through the waterways on five speedboats and opened fire on the soldiers manning a gunboat attached to the former President.

The military Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Delta Safe (ODS) vowed to unmask the gunmen.

The spokesman of ODS, Maj. Jonah Unuakhalu, regretted that while repelling the attack, one of the soldiers died while another was injured but was responding to treatment at an undisclosed hospital.

Former President Jonathan also condemned the incident in a statement issued by his Media Adviser, Ikechukwu Eze, and called for investigation and arrest of the perpetrators.

Also President Muhammadu Buhari ordered security agencies to fish out persons behind the dastardly act.
Jonathan and his wife, Patience, visited Lance Corporal Umar Muttaka, one of the soldiers on guard at his residence in Otuoke who sustained injuries during the incident.

Jonathan, who visited the injured soldier in an undisclosed hospital in Yenagoa, wished him quick recovery and commended the bravery of the security men on duty in his house, who stood firm and fought for the interest and security of the nation.

It was gathered that security around Jonathan had been tightened and security has also been beefed up in his residence following the incident.
But some kinsmen, who spoke on the incident yesterday, said they would not accept any investigation that would not lead to the arrest of the assailants and those who sent them.

A leading voice from Ogbia and public commentator, Wisdom Ikuli, said they were disappointed that nothing had been heard about persons who carried out the attack.

Acknowledging that the security agencies could be working discreetly to unmask the identities of the perpetrators, Ikuli insisted that the attackers were targeting the former President.

He noted that both the sponsors and the perpetrators of the ct must be persons within the state who understood the environment and knew the movement of the former President.
He said prior to the election, the former President moved freely without a record of any incident and wondered why he had become a target after the poll.

He asked the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Department of Security Service (DSS) to take the matter seriously.

He said: “The attack on the house of the former president is very condemnable. Some people said they just attacked his security. But f they had overrun the security, what do you think would have happened?

“If the enemies attack your security men at the gate and overrun them, are you not going to be the victim? 


The Nation