…Jonathan is safe- Presidency…
Security has been beefed up in Abuja, the nation’s capital, following an attempted jail break by a detained inmate at the State Security Service Headquarters, Aso Drive.
One of the inmates detained at the SSS headquarters disarmed an officer who went to serve the inmates breakfast.
The sources said the suspect shot the officer and attempted to shoot his way out of detention.
He was however overpowered by other security operatives guarding the premises.
A press statement by the Deputy Director, Public Relations, Department of State Service, Marilyn Ogar, read: “At 07:15 hours, the Service Suspect Handler went to the detention facility within the Headquarters to feed the suspects.
“One of the suspects attempted to disarm him by hitting him at the back of his head with his handcuff. His attempt to escape drew the attention of other guards at the facility who fired some shots to warn and deter others.
“The gun shots attracted the attention of the military with whom we have an understanding of mutual assistance in the event of any threat. The Army immediately deployed a team to reinforce our perimeter guards to forestall any external collaborators. The situation has since been brought under control”.
Following the shooting, there has been heavy presence of soldiers on the road leading to Aso Drive while security operatives search vehicles passing through the road.
Meanwhile, the attempted escape by a detainee at the Aso drive headquarters of the State Security Service (SSS) did not in any way threaten the president’s safety, Spokesman for the president, Dr Reuben Abaiti, has said. He said the incident happened within the premises of the SSS headquarters and was quickly contained.
“It is true that this morning there was an incident at the SSS headquarters, known as ‘Yellow House’, but the incident has absolutely nothing to do with the presidential Villa. But some mischievous persons have gone online to say, claim and promote the lie that President Jonathan is under threat and that the incident had something to do with the Villa but this is absolutely not true.
“I can tell you categorically and to all Nigerians that President Goodluck Jonathan is safe and well. What happened at the SSS headquarters has nothing to do with the president. There was absolutely no threat to the Presidency because whatever happened was contained within the premises of the SSS headquarters,” Dr Abati stressed.
He condemned the online publications that the president’s life was under threat, saying the publishers were peddling false tales in order to create unnecessary hysteria.