‘No political motives behind burning of Jonathan’s campaign vehicles’

MORE facts have emerged on the reason for the attack and burning of President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign vehicles in Suleja, Niger State on Sunday just as the police said four suspects have been arrested in connection with the incident.

   Briefing newsmen in Minna on Monday on the outcome of police investigation into the incident, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Emmanuel Olusola Amore said that contrary to earlier reports that the vehicles were burnt down by thugs suspected to be All Progressives Congress (APC) members in the state, the act was actually carried out by motor park touts.

   The police boss disclosed that the three vehicles were given out at Abuja to be taken to Abeokuta, adding that the drivers on their own wanted to play a smart one by going to poach passengers at a motor park at Suleja when the touts attacked them, leading to the burning of the vehicles.

   “You know the usual violent reactions of touts to such things when you bring your vehicle and you want to poach their passengers without their authorization, that was what led to the incident. It was not politically motivated, going by our preliminary investigation.”

   Amore said that prior to the incident, the state’s chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Governor Mua’zu Babangida Aliyu and the state gubernatorial candidate of the party with other party chieftains had successful rallies at both New Wuse and Suleja local councils of the state on the fateful Sunday afternoon.

   “In fact, the PDP had a successful rally at Suleja Sunday and they were in Tafa and Gawu Babangida and in Suleja town, in all these places, there was no incidence. It was after they left Suleja that we heard information that one Yunus went to the police station to report that two branded vehicles belonging to the Jonathan campaign group were burnt at a location near a motor park.

   “And if you know the post office in Suleja, you will know that it is very close to the motor park. And as discernible mind, you will ask, where were these vehicles heading to. And during police investigation it was discovered that those vehicles were heading to Abeokuta, Ogun State capital. Then the question you will ask again is if the vehicles were deployed to Abeokuta, what were they doing at Suleja,” Amore stated.