SSS arrests six for killing INEC chief

The Department of State Security Service, Bayelsa State Command, has apprehended six persons in connection with the brutal killing of the Administrative Secretary, Bayelsa State Independent Electoral Commission, Chief Simeon Akpane.

Akpane was murdered by gunmen on October 10, 2014, in front of his residence at Bethel Church, off Otitio Road, Yenezue-gene, Yenagoa.

The BYSIEC secretary was murdered in a circumstance that looked like assassination as he was shot at a close range by his attackers.

But DSS preliminary investigations showed that he was not a victim of assassination but a victim of a gang of armed robbers.

Parading the suspects on Wednesday, the state Director, DSS, Mr. Laasan Baba, named the suspects as Freedom Allen, 26; Clarkson Okilo, 27, popularly known as Oyoyo and Abubakar Ibrahim, 24.

Others are Salisu Haladu, 24; Maharaza Sallau, 20 and Simeon Macaulay, 20.

Baba said on the day of the dastardly act, Allen, Okilo and one Ebi, popularly known as Omega who is still at large, conspired to carry out robbery activities to get money for their personal needs.

He said the suspects hatched the plot at Biogbolo Community School between 2pm and 7pm on the fateful day.

He said about 8pm, they boarded a commercial tricycle known as Keke from their location to Otiotio Road to find a victim to rob.

He said the suspects confessed that they chose Otiotio because the area is perceived to be inhabited by rich persons.

The DSS boss said, “As they walked into Bethel Church Close, they saw a flashy car driving into the close and followed the vehicle as they believed that the occupant must have money on him.

“As their victim parked in front of his house, they blocked him, searched and collected his GSM phone. At this juncture, their victim grabbed Omega, a member of the gang who was holding a pistol and began to struggle with him.

“This prompted Allen to collect the locally-made revolver pistol popularly known as ‘Awka made’ from Omega and shot their victim on the head. As their victim fell on the ground, they took to their heels with the victim’s phone.”

Baba said Clarkson, who collected the victim’s phone, sold it for N5,000 that night at about 9.30pm to Ibrahim at Yenezue-gene, who in turn sold it for N6,000 to Halladu.

Halladu, according to DSS director, sold the phone to Sallau, from whom the command recovered it.

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