A Magistrates’ Court in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, has ordered the remand of 35-year-old Susaine Morgan in custody over an alleged assassination attempt on the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri.
Morgan faces multiple charges, including conspiracy, armed robbery, attempted kidnapping, and illegal possession of firearms, specifically two AK-47 rifles.
The alleged incident took place on New Year’s Day, January 1, 2025, at the minister’s residence in Ekeremor Town, Bayelsa State.
The remand order was issued following an application filed by Police Prosecutor ASP Stella A. Jerry-Friday under reference number YMC/51C/2025, based on a warrant authorized by the State Commissioner of Police, Francis Idu.
The Magistrate approved Morgan’s 30-day detention at the Okaka Correctional Service Centre to allow police to deepen their investigation and apprehend six other suspects linked to the case.
Authorities raised concerns that releasing Morgan on bail could interfere with the ongoing investigation, as other suspects remain at large.
According to the charges, “The defendant was arrested in the afternoon hours of 1st January 2025 in Senator Lokpobiri’s residence at Ekeremor Town in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State for offences of conspiracy, armed robbery, attempt to kidnap and unlawful possession of firearms (two AK47).”
It was also gathered that the request for remand of the suspect was done due to the limited power of the police to continue with the detention of the suspect without an order from the court.
A police source also confirmed on Monday that such a request is normal and if the suspect were granted bail, “There is the likelihood that he will interfere with police investigation due to the serious nature of the case and other fleeing suspects yet to be arrested will be influenced and may not be arrested by the police.”
According to a security report, seven of the suspects had gained entry into the country home of Senator Heineken Lokpobiri on New Year’s Day and hid among the crowd of visitors to visit Yuletide.
However, the report indicated that information filtered to the armed military men that some persons were armed and dangerous among the visitors.
The report further said: “Due to the large crowd, the soldiers, who could not open fire, ordered everyone to lie down. It was only the arrested suspect, who was with the bag conveying the weapons, that got arrested. “Other suspects mixed up with the panic crowd and escaped. They started shooting sporadically in the community attacked a filling station in anger and allegedly made away with the sum of N400,000.
“They also invaded the Ekeremor town waterfront and snatched a speedboat to escape.”
It was also gathered that the arrested suspect had made useful statements on the persons allegedly involved and the police are on their trail.
While reports claimed the suspects are allegedly indigenes of Ekeremor, others claimed that the attempt might be political and not unconnected with the alleged struggle for the control of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State.