by Nasir Ayitogo,
The Presidency on Monday confirmed there was an attempt to burgle the residences of the President’s Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Gambari and Admin Officer, Abubakar Maikano.
In a tweet via his verified handle on Monday, the presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, said the attempts were ‘unsuccessful’.
“The Chief of Staff, Professor Ibrahim Gambari has confirmed that there ‘was a foolish attempt’ to burgle his residence at 3:00am this morning but it turned out to be unsuccessful.
“Professor Gambari, whose house is on a street next to the Villa has assured that there is nothing to worry about from the incident.
“The police, in a related development is searching for a suspected burglar who unsuccessfully attempted to break into the house of Maikano Abdullahi on Thursday, last week. Maikano lives on the same street with the Chief of Staff, close to the Villa,” he tweeted.
An online newspaper, People’s Gazette, had reported that the homes of the two senior officials were robbed on Sunday night.
According to the report, “the invaders made away with cash and other valuable items.” PREMIUM TIMES has not verified this claim.
The tweets by the presidency only confirmed the burglary attempts.
The Presidential Villa, where the Nigerian president and his family reside, is regarded as one of the most secure places not just in the Federal Capital Territory but in the country.
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The robbery attempts in one Nigeria’s most secure places, arguably, reflects the worsening security situation across the country.
Nigeria has witnessed rising crime rate and violence across the country in recent months. Kidnappings, killings and attacks by armed groups have become rampant in many parts of the country. Victims have included civilians and security operatives.