The police in
Bayelsa State have arrested
the alleged attackers of Miss
Folakemi Akinbode, a
National Youth Service Corps,
NYSC, member serving in the
state whose right hand was
almost chopped off, Monday
night, at Obunagha in
Yenagoa Local Government
Area.
Meantime, an Italian firm has
agreed to sponsor the victim
who has regained
conciousness overseas for
proper medical treatment
and rehabilitation.
Folakemi Akinbode
The two suspects, identified
as Ebi Jatto and Weriye
Aluwa, who are currently in
police custody, it was learnt,
were nabbed 72 hours after
the attack through the
support of the Obunagha
community youths.
Miss Akinbode was attacked
with a machete for
reportedly refusing to hand
over unspecified amount of
money in her possession
while returning from work
that fateful, Monday.
It was reliably gathered that
the suspects were arrested
at Koroama community
about two kilometres from
the scene of crime while
attempting to sell the mobile
phone of their victim.
A security source told
Vanguard that the suspects
had confessed to the crime
and claimed that the lady
struggled with them in their
attempt to snatch her bag.
The corps member, it would
be recalled, was attacked at
about 8.30pm while
returning to the lodge near
the Niger Delta University
Teaching Hospital, Okolobori,
her place of primary
assignment.
Miss Akinbode, 26, a
graduate Nurse of Madonna
University was reported to
have been in charge of huge
amount of money used by
the hospital to pay blood
donors at the blood bank
section of the hospital.
The arrested suspects,
according to a security
source, were present during
the payment made to the
blood donors by the corps
member.
According to the security
source, “they claimed that all
they wanted from her was
the remaining money she
kept in her bag after the
payments in the afternoon.
But that when she struggled
and identified one of them,
she was attacked with
machete.”
Confirming the arrest, the
traditional rule of the
Obunagha community, the
Ibolou XI, H.R.H Godsgive
Apoh, said the prompt arrest
of the suspected attackers
was made possible by
emergency meeting of youth
vigilante body set up to
investigate and apprehend
those involved in the attack.
The state Police Public
Relations Officer, Mr. Alex
Akhigbe, confirmed the arrest
but said they were yet to
establish the motive behind
the attack.
Victim for overseas
treatment
Meanwhile, an unnamed
Italian firm, it was learnt, is
making frantic effort to fly
the victim overseas for
treatment.
Sources, however, told
Vanguard that the move was
stalled, yesterday, due to the
Sallah holidays and other
logistics.
“We are optimistic that the
problem would be sorted out
on Monday after the Sallah
holidays to enable her travel
overseas for proper medical
attention and rehabilitation,”
a source told Vanguard.