A close shave with death

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AN assassination attempt on the life of the Chairman of Wukari Local Council in Taraba State, Daniel Angyu, has been foiled by the state Police Command.

Also saved from the bullets of the assassins, was the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Wukari Local Council.

The assassination attempts, which would have further ignited dust in the area that has in the past few days been enmeshed in crisis, was said to have been foiled by the police following a tip-off by some Good Samaritans.

This was made known yesterday by the Commissioner of Police, Shaba Alkali, while briefing journalists at the command headquarters located in Jalingo metropolis.

On the upheaval in the council which led to wanton destruction of lives and property, the crisis according to him was ignited by two groups whom he said belonged to “one family” but “different political parties.”

While the APC supporters in the council were celebrating the victory of their party in the tribunal which pronounced their governorship candidate, Hajiya Aisha Jumai Alhassan, as the duly elected governor of Taraba State, crisis erupted from nowhere in the council.

According to the police commissioner, a reliable information that one of the groups had concluded plans to eliminate the PDP chairman in the council was received by the police and “we acted quickly.”

On sending policemen to the house of the said chairman, two suspects namely Bitrus Henry and Christopher Danladi, according to him were arrested while attempting to jump into the chairman’s house to executive their mission.

The police boss, who went ahead to parade the suspects before journalists, warned those who took pleasure in sponsoring youths to kill innocent people to desist from such acts as relevant plans to unravel sponsors of recent crises in the state have been put in place.

In a related development the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 3 Yola, Mr J Abubakar, warned men and officers of the Command to eschew corrupt practices or be compelled to face sanctions.

Abubakar, who was in the state following the unrest, decried some sharp practices by some officers and men of the force. He went ahead to warn them against extorting money from motorists and commercial motorcycle riders which he observed was giving the force negative image.

According to him: “It is disheartening that some officers today have indulged in the act of asking bicycle and horse riders of receipt permit, all in a bid to extort money from them. Be warned because I will not spare any officer found wanting.”

Answering questions from newsmen, one of the assassins, Henry, said his mission to the said chairman’s house was to go and tender apology for the wrong he had earlier committed and not to eliminate him.

He said: “I was with a gun and five bullets which I collected from somebody. I wanted to go home and keep it, but I decided to come and apologise to the chairman over my attitude towards him the previous day, when we wanted to beat him up. Our intention was not to kill him but to seek for forgiveness.”

All the suspects, according to Alkali, would soon be charged to court.

Source: TheGuardian