APC chief escapes assassination near Jonathan’s home.

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A leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bayelsa State chapter, Chief Dikivie Ikiogha, has escaped assassination.

It was learnt that five gunmen, suspected to be assassins, broke into Ikiogha’s residence located at Kpansia area of Yenagoa, the state capital, on Sunday.

It was learnt that the suspected assassins, who were armed with AK-47 rifles, gained access to the expansive compound that shares boundary with former President Goodluck Jonathan’s Yenagoa home at about 2am.

But Ikiogha, a close friend of Jonathan and a former Chief of Staff to Governor Seriake Dickson, was reportedly not in the house when the gunmen struck.

The assassins were said to have scaled the high fence of the building and allegedly discovered that a policeman guarding the politician’s house was asleep with his rifle by his side.

It was learnt that the hoodlums seized the policeman’s rifle, tied him up before breaking into one of the rooms in the building.

A source in the house, who wished not to be named, described the incident as scary, saying that God saved Ikiogha for not being around when the gunmen came into the apartment.

The source said the hoodlums operated between 2am and 3am before leaving the house.

He said, “After tying up the policeman, the gunmen cut the iron protector in one of the windows and entered the room. They held one of the domestic servants at gunpoint and ordered him to lead them to Ikiogha’s room.

“When they got to the room, they only saw the wife. They asked the wife to produce her husband but the woman insisted he (Ikiogha) had travelled.

“They (gunmen) told her that they came for Ikiogha but that since he was not around, she should give them all the money in the house. The woman was able to give them some undisclosed amount of money. They left, promising to come back for him.”

The source said before the attack, Ikiogha had complained that his life was being threatened by some unknown persons.

“He once complained that people were after his life. He said it might be in connection with his recent statement on issues affecting the state,” the source added.

But it was learnt that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Asuquo Amba, was taking the matter seriously and reportedly launched a manhunt.

Several calls put across to the Police Public Relations Officer, Bayelsa State Command, Mr. Butswat Asinim, were not responded to.

But a senior police officer, spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the press, confirmed the incident.

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