The tense political atmosphere in Taraba State heightened,
last night, following the arrest and detention of Senior Special
Assistant to Governor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba by the police.
Sylvanus Giwa was picked up along
with his friends by police men around 11pm from the Sanaf Suite opposite
Catholic Cathedral, Mile 6, Jalingo.
No reason was given by the police for
the arrest, but sources said Giwa was detained in connection with offensive
statements he made against the state’s acting governor, Garba Umar.
He was alleged to have issued a
statement castigating Umar for claiming, last week, that he was 100 percent
loyal to his boss, Suntai.
The acting governor is alleged to
have been uncomfortable with the statement and asked security agents to invite
him for explanations.
Although he was taken to the police
station on Friday night, he was still being kept at the counter yesterday
afternoon while spirited efforts were being made to release him on bail.
The acting governor’s spokesman, Sule
Kefas, denied that his boss had any hand in the arrest.
One of the four arrested alongside
Giwa was Bar. Hamidu Ali, said to be in the hotel for a religious purpose.
“As I speak to you, the acting
governor is not aware of the arrest and did not ask anyone to arrest Giwa,”
Kefas said.
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Politics