Thugs open fire on Gov Amaechi’s convoy
RIVERS State Governor Rotimi Amaechi escaped unhurt in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area on Thursday when gunmen, suspected to be poli...
https://9ijatunes.blogspot.com/2015/03/thugs-open-fire-on-gov-amaechis-convoy.html
RIVERS State Governor Rotimi Amaechi
escaped unhurt in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area on Thursday when
gunmen, suspected to be political thugs, fired shots at his convoy.
Two members of the All Progressives
Congress were however unlucky as they were seriously injured in the
incident, which happened at about 6pm on Thursday.
The governor was on a door-to-door ward campaign of the area.
An SMS sent to our correspondent by the
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. David Iyofor, indicated that
the attackers made bonfire along a major road in the area to prevent
the governor from leaving.
The SMS read, “This evening, gunshots
were fired at the convoy of Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi at
Rumuolumeni, Obio/Akpor LGA by PDP thugs.
“Obio/Akpor is the home of the PDP
governorship candidate in the state, Nyesom Wike. The thugs attacked the
governor’s convoy and his entourage with bottles, stones and other
dangerous objects. Then gunshots were fired at the convoy.
“When the governor was leaving the
community, bonfire was set up on the road to prevent him from leaving.
More gunshots were fired at his convoy. Amaechi was on door-to-door ward
campaign in the state.”
The Greater Together Campaign
Organisation, a team in charge of the APC candidate, Dakuku Peterside’s
governorship campaign, described the attack on the convoy as part of the
plan to assassinate chieftains and members of the APC.
The Director of the campaign
organisation, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, said in a statement in Port
Harcourt that the thugs were repelled by the governor’s security
personnel.
Semenitari lamented that the situation
in the state had become worrisome considering that a group of security
operatives had gone to the governor’s home town to carry out a secret
investigation.
The statement read in part, “In keeping
with their plans to attack and assassinate chieftains and members of the
APC, thugs of the PDPambushed the convoy of Governor Amaechi, who was
on a door-to-door campaign in Rumuolumeni, Obio/Akpor, Rivers State.
“The thugs were repelled by the
governor’s security personnel. However, the PDP in Rivers State has
concluded plans to launch house-to-house attack on APC chieftains in the
state with the aid of security personnel.”
When contacted, the state Police Public
Relations Officer, Ahmad Mohammad, told our correspondent that he was
still trying to reach out to the Divisional Police Officer in Obio/Akpor
to ascertain the veracity of the claim that the governor’s convoy was
attacked.
Mohammad promised to react to the matter
as soon as he got any response from the DPO in Obio/Akpor but he had
yet to keep the promise as of 9pm on Thursday.
Also in Edo State, the government on
Thursday alleged deployment of armed soldiers in the country home of
Governor Adams Oshiomhole in Iyamoh Etsakor West LGA.
A statement by the state Commissioner
for Information and Orientation, Louis Odion, said the presence of the
soldiers was to “intimidate the governor on election day.”
The statement read in part, “Family
members of the governor were shocked to find his country home taken
over by soldiers this(Thursday) afternoon. When asked, the invading
force said they were acting on orders from above.
“We also have it on good authority that
the Army high command in Abuja had sent some soldiers to Edo State on
what they described as ‘special operations’.
“In order not to arouse suspicion, these
soldiers were told to dress in suits and pose as SSS operatives and
station them at polling units on election day, particularly in areas
seen as APC strongholds.”