Rivers Police Arrest Port Harcourt Pastor Over Alleged Plot to Assassinate FCT Minister Nyesom Wike
Security agencies in Rivers State have arrested a Port Harcourt–based cleric over an alleged plot to assassinate the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, PulseNets learnt.
The arrest comes against the backdrop of the prolonged political standoff between Wike and Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, a rivalry that has continued to fuel instability and tension across the state.
The development has introduced a fresh security angle to the bitter contest for political control and influence in Rivers, raising concerns among residents and political observers.
The suspect was identified as Dr. Tombari Joseph Gbeneol, a medical doctor and founder of Life Forte Chapel Church in Port Harcourt. PulseNets obtained that he was arrested by operatives of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) attached to the Office of the Inspector-General of Police.
Investigations revealed that the arrest followed sustained surveillance of a telephone conversation allegedly involving Gbeneol and a former Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Dr. Tammy Danagogo. The discussion reportedly triggered red flags within the security architecture.
According to intelligence reports, the conversation allegedly centred on a plan to recruit foreign nationals to carry out an attack on the FCT Minister, alongside efforts to source funding to bankroll the operation.
“The content of the call was considered a grave national security threat,” a senior security source told PulseNets. “That assessment prompted the immediate intervention of the Intelligence Response Team.”
Acting on the intelligence, IRT operatives moved swiftly and arrested Gbeneol in Port Harcourt. PulseNets learnt that he has been in custody for nearly two weeks as investigations are expanded to determine the full scope of the alleged plot.
Police authorities have confirmed the arrest. Speaking on the matter, the Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, told PulseNets, “He is currently in our custody. Investigation is ongoing,” declining to provide further operational details.
The Nigeria Police Force has yet to formally disclose the identities of other individuals allegedly connected to the case. However, PulseNets reported that investigators are working to establish the roles of all persons mentioned during the intelligence review and to determine whether additional collaborators are involved.
Meanwhile, security operatives are said to be intensifying efforts to track down Dr. Danagogo, who is believed to have gone underground since reports of the alleged plot became public.
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The arrest has continued to generate political reactions across Rivers State, with many residents expressing unease over the escalating hostility linked to the power struggle between the state’s dominant political forces.
In a related development, PulseNets recalls that Politics Nigeria recently reported rising tensions between factions loyal to Wike and those aligned with Governor Fubara, a crisis marked by repeated political confrontations that have disrupted governance and deepened divisions within the state’s political structure.
