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Nigeria: Gunmen Attack Abia Gov's Convoy, Seize Back-Up Vehicle
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Vanguard (Lagos)
23 July 2008
Posted to the web 23 July 2008
Anayo Okoli
UNKNOWN gunmen snatched, yesterday, the official spare car, a 4X4 Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) of Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State in an attack on his aides on the Aba-Port Harcourt Road.
The incident occurred at about 7:30 a.m at Ngwuiyiekwe in Ugwunagbo Local government Area of the state while the aides were on their way to the Port Harcourt Airportto receive the governor from an overseas trip.
One person, a bus conductor, was confirmed dead in the incident while several others sustained injuries. Armed robbery was suggested in some quarters, but the Governor categorically ruled out armed robbery, saying it was an attempt by the oppositionS to kill him. He was not in the convoy at the time of the attack.
The Governor's official car, a black 4x4 SUV, was shot at but because it is a bullet proof vehicle there was no much damageto the jeep. But the back-up car, another SUV, was taken away by the hoodlums.
It was, however, recovered in Ogwe Asa village, some hours later, where it was abandoned by the gunmen.
Security personnel attached to the Governor were said to have engaged the hoodlums in a shootout until they ran out of bullets, prompting them to flee. The hoodlums, about 10 in number, were now more emboldened and with their more sophisticated weapons, took their time to conduct a vehicle-to-vehicle search, during which they removed some valuables and escaped with the Governor's spare car which they later abandoned.
Some other vehicles on the convoy were also riddled with bullets. Some journalists on the entourage sustained minor injuries and lost their cameras and handsets while running for their lives.
Reacting to the development, Governor Orji blamed the attack on the opposition, alleging that they wanted to eliminate him.
Oppositions after me, says Gov Orji
Much of the state was thrown into confusion when news of the attack filtered in. The initial story was that the governor and his deputy, Comrade Chris Akomas, had been kidnapped. This prompted the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Mascot Kalu, to issue a statement to clear the air.
Kalu, in the statement broadcast intermittently, explained that the Governor and his deputy were free, hale and hearty. He urged the people to ignore the rumour and go about their businesses, saying the intention of the opposition was to cause panic in the state.
State commissioners- Public Utility, Finance, Land- and the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Deputy Governor as well as the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, accompanied the Information Commissioner, Chief Ralph Egbu, to brief journalists on the incident which they described as "a very serious security breach," but declared that government was in control of the situation.
Governor Orji later told journalists that the opposition was desperate to kill him because, according to him, they knew his appeal against the nullification of his election would succeed.
"This is not armed robbery at all because I don't see why they should start shooting at every car in the Governor's convoy. Is the Governor's convoy a bullion van that carries money? No. That is an attempt to assassinate me and my entourage. Security report that I received indicates that they have planned this thing for a very long time and they are now trying to execute it and they have done that.
But I always tell people that I have a divine mandate. Whenever they plan evil for me, God will always show me a window of escape.
"We have a court case in the Appeal Tribunal. I am there with them. We will struggle there. They don't want to allow these men of integrity, men of repute, to look into that case and then decide and tell us the truth. They know what will happen and that is why they are planning now to eliminate me. But all their plans will be in vain because they can never triumph.
"I have a divine mandate. If it is not God's will that I will be Governor, may be I would have been in this car today and they would shoot me. I will continue to be in charge until when God says you will no longer be in charge. Their game plan to rule Abia State by all means can never work for them," Orji said.
Egbu in his briefing said Government was challenged by the security breach, adding that it would re-strategise its security measures, and urged the people to remain calm.
Only last month, gunmen also attacked aides of Governor Emmanuel Udughan on the Warri-Benin road, killing his ADC's driver.
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Gunmen also in March 2004, attacked the convoy of the then governor of Benue State, Mr. George Akume, killing his friend, Engineer Andrew Agom, who was sitting with him in his official car, on the Makurdi-Abuja road.
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