Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested a suspected mastermind of the recent attempt to assassinate the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, in Benin, Edo State.
Obi, a former Governor of Anambra State, a former Governor of Edo State, Chief John Oyegun and other chieftains of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) were on February 24 attacked by hoodlums.
They escaped death by the whiskers when armed men fired several gunshots at them during their party meeting in Benin.
Shortly after the attack, one Udeme Monday Stephen, posted on his X account @stevetom788 where he claimed responsibility for the attack and threatened further attacks on Obi in particular.
Stephen stated online that Obi was lucky to have escaped in Benin, and vowed that the former presidential candidate would not be as much lucky the next time.
He stated: “We warned Obi against his entrance into Edo State, but he mistook our resolve for his Obidiots online noise. Thank his stars he (Obi) survived this one…
“I learnt he’s going to my Rivers State… Na my men go handle that one and dem no dey miss target… Speak no peace to a bastard and wish him no long life, for he’s destined to die,” Udeme reportedly posted.
A top security source disclosed that, no sooner had Stephen issued the threat than DSS operatives began covert investigation, deploying forensic analysis to track and arrest him.
The source disclosed that the suspect is a 26-year-old male named Udeme Monday Stephen and that he teaches at Jessica High School in Eliozu, Rivers State, at Umuehere Community, in Obio-Akpor LGA.
“I strongly believe that the outcome of the agency’s forensic investigations implicated the suspect,” the source stressed
“You know that, as a responsible security organisation saddled with the task of counter-espionage, VIP protection, among other asset protection duties, the DSS is always alive to its responsibility of investigating credible intelligence, irrespective of tribe or religion.
“They swiftly deployed operatives and the man who threatened Peter Obi was nabbed and is in custody,” the source declared, adding that Stephen would soon be charged in court.