San Francisco, June 13, (THEWILL) – About eight gunmen in the wee hours of Sunday invaded the Panama Street, Maitama, Abuja residence of Kwara State senator and daughter of Dr. Olusola Saraki, Ms. Gbemisola Saraki in what appeared to be an assassination mission.

The senator, who is Chairman, Senate Committee on Marine Transport and interested in succeeding her brother, Bukola Saraki as governor of Kwara State, was however not at home when the gunmen arrived. THEWILL source in Abuja said Gbemisola is in the United States on holiday.

One of the senator’s aides who narrated the incident to newsmen said the men stormed the residence at about 1. a.m. and successfully overpowered security men and domestic staff attached to the residence asking, "Where is your madam? Where is your madam?"

The aide said when they were told 'madam' had gone abroad, the gunmen ransacked the entire house looking for her. After they had ascertained that Ms. Gbemisola was not on the property, one of them made a call to someone to report that the 'target' was not in the house.

The gunmen left the property an hour later after manhandling staff and security.

The police were reported to have visited the property at about 3. a.m., an hour after the gang had left the scene.

The Abuja Police Command spokesman, Mr. Emmanuel Ojukwu said they are treating the crime as a "case of burglary and attempted theft" until new information is uncovered.

But the Senate in a statement from its spokesman, Senator Ayogu Eze said, "We received with shock news of the attempt on the life of Senator Saraki.

"Politics of violence and brigandage belong to our regrettable past and any attempt to return us to that inglorious era is unfortunate and completely unacceptable."

THEWILL could not reach the senator for comments.

Gunmen suspected to be assassins on Sunday broke into the Abuja home of Senator Gbemisola Saraki, shooting one of her security men in the process.

The Senate swiftly reacted to the incident, urging the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ogbonna Onovo to immediately wade into the matter to ensure that the culprits were brought to book.

Our correspondent gathered on Sunday, that Saraki was not at home when the men struck in the early hours of the day.

The gunmen, numbering eight were said to have gained access into the residence located at the Maitama District of Abuja, after laying wait outside the fence for several hours.

They were said to have ransacked the building while holding the domestic aides of the senator hostage and demanded to know the whereabouts of the senator.

Our correspondent gathered that the gunmen eventually left the senator’s residence after their efforts to get her failed to yield any result.

Saraki, who is the younger sister to Governor Bukola Saraki of Kwara State, according to sources closed to her, travelled out of the country on Friday, without telling anyone where she was travelling to.

Reacting to the incident on the telephone, an obviously shocked Saraki wondered why anyone would be after her life, as she did not believe in a do-or-die politics.

She said, “I thank God that I survived the attack but it is shocking that some people will come after someone’s life because of power. I had received a threat message about a week earlier but I never thought it was going to be that sudden.

“People should realise that power belongs to God and I also firmly believe that my life is in God’s hands. We advise the security agencies to be more vigilant as the 2011 election year comes closer.”

But the police have said that it was wrong to conclude that the attack on Saraki was assassination attempt when they were still investigating the matter.



The Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emmanuel Ojukwu, who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone on Sunday, said that the police have already commenced investigations into the issue.

Ojukwu added that the police were working on the theory that the attack could either be house breaking or burglary.



He, however, said that no arrest has been made.



He said, “We would do our work, which we have already started. Right now, we cannot say it was assassination attempt.



“In fact, that would be wrong to say. However, we are working on all theories but we are also looking at the probability that it could be house breaking or burglary.



“At the end of the investigations, we should be able to know the intent of what happened. For now, no arrest has been made.”















The Senate has condemned the attack on Saraki, describing it is a manifestation of politics of brigandage which should belong to the past.



Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information and Media, Senator Ayogu Eze, in a statement on Sunday said, “We received with shock news of the attempt on the life of Senator Gbemisola Saraki. Politics of violence and brigandage belong to our regrettable past and any attempt to return us to that inglorious era is unfortunate and completely unacceptable.



“Political or other differences should be resolved through dialogue and consensus building and not by recourse to thuggery and arm-twisting. “We condemn the violation of the sanctity of Sen. Saraki‘s household and the abuse of the constitutional rights of her relations and domestic staff. We call on the Inspector General of Police and other security agencies to step into this matter and fish out the master-minds and the culprits in this heinous act.



“Our new politics should not be foreshadowed by threats of violence and thuggery. This development obviously sends a wrong signal and we urge the police to deal with this matter comprehensively.”

oyb:

me - i think this was staged

the woman was conveniently out of the country, the assassins snatched phones - they conversed in front of the staff

gbemi apparently is on facebook yarning about Allah's protection of the righteous or some such bs

odd coming from someone who NEXT reports is carrying on an adulterous affair with our embattled speaker ( the righteous noise)

apparently the gumne went as far as to inform the staff that 'they were from kwara' - i heard that on the radio this morning