Four individuals suspected to be members of the Boko Haram group and allegedly planning an attack on the residence of former vice president Atiku Abubakar in Yola, the capital of Adamawa state, have been arrested by the police.
Yahaya Suleiman, the police spokesperson in Adamawa, confirmed this development on Monday.
Abubakar’s media office released a statement describing the arrest and identified Jubrila Mohammed as the prime suspect who was apprehended while attempting to gather information about the former vice president’s home in Yola on Sunday.
The media office said other suspects were apprehended after the main suspect named them as his collaborators following an interrogation by the police.
“We wish to alert the Nigerian public that at about 9:44 pm 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 statement reads.
“Upon further interrogation by the police, the suspect identified himself as a 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. All four suspects have been handed over to military authorities.”
According to The Cable, the police spokesperson confirmed that the suspects have been handed over to 23 army brigade for investigations.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that the planned attack on Abubakar’s residence was orchestrated by “forces who are unsettled by his (Abubakar’s) bid to retrieve his mandate at the presidential election petition tribunal”.
“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 statement reads.
The opposition party asked security agencies to “commence an investigation to fish out those behind this evil plot”.
