SSS foils plot to kidnap Yar’Adua’s daughter

THE State Security Service on Thursday said it had foiled a plot to abduct one of the daughters of late President Umaru Yar’Adua.

The SSS said two suspects, Hamza Abubakar and Lawrence Okoro, had been arrested in connection with the foiled kidnap attempt.

Deputy Director, SSS, Public Relations, Ms. Marilyn Ogar, told newsmen in Abuja that the two suspects had on August 21,2013 attempted to kidnap the late President’s daughter at a construction site belonging to her at the Kado area of the Federal Capital Territory.

Ogar did not reveal the name of the targeted ex-President’s daughter.

She said that Abubakar,27; and Okoro, 43 colluded with one Abu Katsina and four others to plan the abduction.

The four other suspects, according to Ogar, are Daddy Mohammed, Isa Keteri, Masa’udu Kateri and another person simply identified as Ik.

Ogar said that Hamza cultivated the friendship of Katsina, a security guard at the late president’s daughter’s construction site, thus providing him the opportunity to visit the area regularly.

She said, “Having obtained sufficient information on the lady, he contacted Dennis, who was at Owerri at the time. The suspects had planned to kidnap and detain the woman at Zuba, in the residence of an acquaintance of Okoro. However, the SSS operatives, acting on actionable intelligence, foiled the plot.

“Both Hamza and Dennis and other collaborators shall be charged to court soon.”

Ogar said that Abubakar was charged with armed robbery in 2006 and remanded at Goron Dutse Prison, Kano, till August 9, 2013 before he was granted bail.

She added that Okoro was also charged with similar offence in 2000 and remanded in the same prison till March 1, 2013 before being granted bail.

According to her, the two became friends while in prison and later reunited in August 2013 after their freedom and subsequently plotted the kidnap plan.

The SSS also paraded a fake Army General, Abubakar Sani (65), who allegedly claimed to be a Special Adviser on Defence to the President.

Ogar gave the suspect’s real name as Elias Tyopart Adams, adding that the fake General also claimed to be a coordinating member of the National Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation.

Ogar said the service initiated an investigation into the activities of the suspect following complaints received from the management of Pipeline and Product Marketing Company.

She said that the investigation which led to Sani’s arrest revealed that the suspect met with PPMC officials in 2012 and claimed to be the Special Adviser to the president.

“He told the PPMC officials that he was directed by the Presidential Villa to facilitate the speedy supply of DPK through certain markets located at flooded parts of the country; he claimed that this was a means to mitigate the burden of victims of the 2012 national flood disaster.

“Investigation also revealed that Elias had equally impersonated a former Minister of Defence and secured up to five lorry loads of DPK from Warri and Kaduna Depots respectively,” Ogar explained.

She said that the suspect claimed that he acted on behalf of the minister and that the product was meant to be distributed to Muslims in Takum, Taraba State, for the celebration of Sallah.

“Suspect used the following business ventures as fronts to divert petroleum products, Usmad Ventures, Arung Oils, Bonje Oil and Gas, and Chavota Oil and Gas,’’ she added.

In an interview, Elias said he got involved in the act out of frustration, adding that between January and the time he was arrested, he had made about N800, 000 from the fraudulent act.