The Bayelsa State Police Command has arrested a Reggae artists, Elijah Pentecost, Popularly known as Natty Congo, for allegedly attempting to detonate Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs, at the State Secretariat in the early hours of Wednesday.
The Commissioner of Police, Daniel Iyamah said officers of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit successfully dismantled one unexploded device after an initial detonation occurred without any loss of life, injuries, or property damage.
It is an unusual scene at the Bayelsa State Secretariat as workers were thrown into panic following the explosion of an improvised device within the premises.
Eyewitnesses said the suspect, Elijah Pentecost, gained access into the facility under the guise of mounting a protest banner.
The sound of the explosion drew security operatives to the scene, with the Commissioner leading a response team that arrested the suspect.
Preliminary investigation, according to the Police Commissioner, revealed that the 60-year old suspect, who hails from Otuan community in Southern Ijaw Local government area of Bayelsa state claimed he carried out the act in an attempt to draw government attention to his medical condition.
The police said the suspect alleged that he had been seeking financial assistance for treatment after suffering severe acid burns in the past.
It was gathered that ‘Nati Congo’ received an acid bath from a lover years ago while living in Lagos state and became physically deformed and had been seeking financial help from successive Bayelsa state governments.
Some time ago, Natty Congo, told our reporter that he had written several appeal letters to the state government for financial assistance to enable him fly to India for a medical surgery on his damaged skin.
He had alleged that funds had already been approved for him but some government officials “are seating on top of the money that government has approved for me.”
Meanwhile, the Police Command directed workers to temporarily vacate the Secretariat to enable security operatives conduct a comprehensive sweep of the premises.
