A Magistrate Court sitting in Yenagoa has ordered the remand of a 35-year-old man, Susaine Morgan, over the alleged attempt to assassinate the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, in Ekeremor town, Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
The remand warrant, issued by the State Commissioner of Police, Francis Idu, and filed in court by the Police Prosecutor, Stella Jerry-Friday, was approved by the Magistrate to allow the suspect to be detained for 30 days at the Correctional Service Centre at Okaka and to allow the police investigating team to arrest six others who are currently at large.
The suit filed by the police, with reference number YMC/51C/2025, prayed for the detention of the suspect over the kidnapping and assassination attempt on Lokpobiri and unlawful possession of firearms.
According to the charges, “the defendant was arrested in the afternoon of 1st January 2025 at Senator Heineken Lokpobiri’s residence in Ekeremor Town, Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, for offences of conspiracy, armed robbery, attempted kidnapping, and unlawful possession of firearms (two AK-47 rifles).”
A police source stated that the request for the remand of the suspect was made due to the police’s limited power to keep the suspect in detention without a court order, “as an investigation is ongoing to track the six other suspects at large.”
Police sources on Monday confirmed that such a request is normal, noting that if the suspect were granted bail, “there is the likelihood that he will interfere with police investigation due to the serious nature of the case and other fleeing cohorts yet to be arrested, who may be influenced and evade arrest.”
The security report of the incident indicated that seven suspected assailants, using the cover of Yuletide visits by several community members, gained entry into the country home of the Minister.
However, their plans were foiled when reports filtered to the security agents on duty that there were dangerous individuals among the crowd, leading to the arrest of Morgan while other suspects mingled with the crowd to escape.
“They had gained entry before information filtered to the armed military personnel that some individuals were armed and dangerous among the visitors.
“Due to the large crowd, the soldiers, who could not open fire, ordered everyone to lie down. It was only the arrested suspect, who was carrying the bag with the weapon, that was apprehended.
“Others mixed with the panicked crowd and escaped. They started shooting inside the community and attacked a filling station in anger, making away with a sum of N400,000.”
“They also invaded the Ekeremor town waterfront and snatched a speedboat to escape.”
It was gathered that the arrested suspect had made useful statements about the individuals allegedly involved and the police are currently on their trail.
