Armed Robbers Attack Jonathan Aide's Home, Cart Away Money, Valueables

Gunmen on Saturday burgled the home of Senior Special Assistant to the President on Domestic Matters, Mr. Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, and carted away an undisclosed amount of money after destroying the safe kept in one of his rooms.

Punch reports that the gunmen who were about 10 in number, were all dressed in riot police uniform. They stormed the residence in Okaka Estate, Yenagoa, about 8pm. It was learnt that when they came, the three riot policemen guarding the residence of the Presidential aide were not around.

The gunmen were said to have gained entry into premises of Dudafah after allegedly telling the security men that they were policemen on operations from the police headquarters. When they got into the premises, they were said to have bound the Chief gate man, one Muhammed Garba, tying his legs, his hands and covering his eyes and mouth.

An eyewitness, who spoke on anonymity stand said that the alleged the attack on Dudafah’s home was politically motivated. The anonymous speaker said the incident took place a few minutes after results of some rescheduled House of Assembly polls were released and Dudafah-backed candidate on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance defeated his Peoples Democratic Party opponent in Kolokuma-Opokuma Constituency.

Narrating his ordeal, Garba, who said he had been working with Dudafah for eight years, said the suspects came in two black Sport Utility Vehicles. He said they came and banged the door, asking, “Where is the security man, where is the security man? I told them I was coming. When I asked who they were, they replied they were police. They asked the whereabouts of the police security operatives in Dudafah residence.

“They ordered me to open the gate. I opened a small gate and saw about 10 of them. They pushed me and they gained entry into the premises. They spanked my head. They tied my hands, my legs, covered my mouth and eyes with celotape.

“They went for my room at the security gate and asked me to show them the apartments of police security in the building. They also asked for Dudafa (Oga) house keys. I told them I did not know where they were since I was not the person keeping them. They said they would kill me if they eventually found the keys in my place. I kept quiet.

“After ransacking my room, they saw the keys. They started using them to open the main building.
“The man leading the operations asked his colleagues to talk gently so that when my colleague, who had gone to buy noodles at that time, would not suspect something was amiss.

“No sooner had they said that than my colleague came in, and they caught him. They now abandoned me bound, and took my second to be directing them. It was my second that was now showing them way. They also went to boys quarters and also seized Dudafah’s cousin living there. They also tied him. They were threatening them that if they did not cooperate with them, they would waste them.”

However, efforts to get the police reaction were unsuccessful as calls to the spokesman for the Bayelsa State Command, Mr. Asinim Butswat, were not answered.