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Ibori’s Armed Militants Use Firepower To Repel Police Attempt To Arrest Him

April 19, 2010

Oghara, hometown and hideout of former Governor James Ibori, today witnessed fierce gunshots as the former governor’s bodyguards of militants repelled a team of police officers dispatched by Inspector General of Police Ogbonna Onovo.

Image removed.Oghara, hometown and hideout of former Governor James Ibori, today witnessed fierce gunshots as the former governor’s bodyguards of militants repelled a team of police officers dispatched by Inspector General of Police Ogbonna Onovo.
Following reports that Onovo had defied acting President Goodluck Jonathan’s instructions to arrest Ibori, the IGP today decided to mount an offensive to pick Ibori up. But a group of militants armed by the fugitive politician engaged the advancing contingent of police officers in an exchange of gunfire at the outskirts of Oghara. “I can tell you that the militants’ weapons were too much,” a security source told Saharareporters.

After retreating, the police team now claims that it has received intelligence that Ibori escaped into the Niger Delta creeks to hide with armed militants.

The police team arrived Oghara, Ibori’s village in Delta State, at 3:30 p.m. (Nigerian time). Udom Ekpo Udom, the Deputy Inspector General of Police of the “C” Division, and MD Abubakar, the Assistant Inspector General of Police “Zone 5”, led the team. In the contingent were also the Commissioner of Police of Delta, Mr. Yakubu Alkali, the Assistant Commissioner of Police Operations in Delta State, the area commander of the Oghara police formation and the district police officer of Oghara. Ten officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission also accompanied the police in the operation to effect Ibori’s arrest.
 
“The police team met fierce resistance from militants who embarked on serious shooting,” said one of our sources.

Several other sources revealed that Ibori’s hired hoodlums had started their “resistance” early in the day by blocking highway traffic and shooting sporadically into the air as security officials loyal to Ibori had tipped him off about the impending attack.

Meanwhile, Saharareporters has gathered more details about Jonathan’s order to IGP Onovo to arrest Ibori.

“The IG was invited to meet with Acting President Goodluck Jonathan after the EFCC chair, Mrs. Farida Waziri, expressed frustration in arresting Ibori due to the support and protection given him by police authorities,” said a source familiar with the issue.

The source revealed that, on Sunday evening, Jonathan instructed the IGP to hand over Ibori to the EFCC since the police were guarding the ex-governor. The IG reportedly told Jonathan that he was unaware of any arrest warrants against Ibori. But soon after Onovo left, the EFCC sent him a copy of the arrest warrant that night.

Our source said the IGP reluctantly communicated Jonathan’s order to the Delta Commissioner of Police. “But instead of arresting Chief Ibori, the CP went to meet with him in the company of the Naval officer in the area to pledge loyalty,” said our source, adding that the CP assured Ibori that the 29-member contingent of mobile policemen attached to him would not be withdrawn.

Our sources said events took a dramatic turn last night after Saharareporters broke the story of Onovo’s disobedience of Jonathan’s order. Soon after we revealed the IG’s act of insubordination, a panicked IGP reportedly contacted the DIG in charge of Delta who said he could not arrest Ibori because “Justice Ibrahim Buba had ‘ordered’ that the police maintain the ‘status quo’ which his command interpreted to mean that Ibori should not be arrested.”

Our source said the IGP then contacted the office of the National Security Adviser to report his latest findings but the NSA made it clear to him that there was no such court order and that the Presidency expected the IGP to do his job.

Saharareporters sources at the Presidency said the NSA’s message jolted the IGP, “and that’s why he put together the team that today failed to nab Ibori.”

Unconfirmed police sources said the team had to beat a retreat to avoid massive bloodshed as the police contingent was clearly outnumbered by the militants.

Saharareporters learnt that, in addition to militants, 29 mobile police officers and 10 secret service agents also still guard Ibori. Mr. A. Gadzama, the Director General of the State Security Services (SSS), provided the security agents to Ibori. One source told Saharareporters that Gadzama was suspected of providing intelligence to Ibori regarding plans to arrest and possibly send him to the UK for trial.

This evening, Ibori’s spokesman, Tony Eluemunor, issued a statement accusing the government of sending “a joint force” of mobile policemen, soldiers, air force and navy as well as EFCC officers who “harassed and manhandled people they met at Ibori's home before spreading the mayhem they brought with them into Oghara town, making people to run helter-skelter, as there was panic everywhere.”

Ibori’s aide said the operation was a “show of naked despotism and reign of rabid impunity,” alleging that the action violated a ruling of the Federal High Court, Asaba, that the status quo should be maintained. He also stated that the police had withdrawn its men before the attack today.

In response a Presidency source told Saharareporters that "Chief Ibori's statement" is designed to mislead the public by creating the impression that the IGP team made into Oghara town. This was not the case as Ibori's men used gunshots to ensure that the police officers did not get anywhere near Ibori's house

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