Nigeria: 'Orji's Assassination Claim a Hoax'

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This Day (Lagos)

24 July 2008
Posted to the web 24 July 2008

Nduka Nwosu and Emmanuel Ugwu
Lagos

Abia State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Ndidi Okereke, has denied allegations that the party had a hand in Governor Theodore Orji's alleged assassination attempt.

Orji had accused the opposition following an attack by gunmen on his convoy along the Port Harcourt-Aba expressway way Tuesday.

This is coming as the state Police Command yesterday shed more light on the gun battle between bandits and the security men attached to the convoy of Orji, saying preliminary investigations showed that the attackers had para-military training.

Orji and his wife, Odachi, were returning from the United States of America (USA) on holiday and were expected to be conveyed back home by the convoy which ran into gunmen suspected to be armed robbers.

The state Information and Culture Commissioner Ralph Egbu later refuted kidnap attempts on the governor and his deputy, Chris Akomas, as well as confirming that there was an assassination attempt on the governor.

In his response yesterday, Okereke said the state PDP viewed the allegation as grossly irresponsible and diversionary.

According to him, it was a cheap attempt by the state governor "to defray the attack on his convoy last Tuesday by gunmen on the opposition," noting that the attack on Orji's convoy "might have been a failed insider job to eliminate deputy governor Akomas to realise the long-nurtured plot to ease Mr Mascot Kalu, current Chief of Staff to Governor Orji and former Governor Orji Kalu's brother into the position."

According to him, it was common knowledge in the state that the governor was abroad. "So why would anyone aim to assassinate an empty car? How come there were no casualties?" he asked.

He said: "An eyewitness in the convoy interviewed on NTA Aba just after the incident confirmed that the outriders leading the convoy on learning there was a robbery operation in front, returned to seek clearance from their superiors behind but were instructed to proceed with the journey.

"This is not the first time the governor's convoy was encountering armed gunmen operating on the same Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway. The last time, he ordered his convoy to stop and wait until the gunmen had vacated the highway before proceeding. Why this time was the convoy instructed to proceed despite the warning?

"The governor's hysterical reaction is typical of his desperation since the Tribunal nullified his election and declared the PDP candidate winner. The governor's fairytale raises more questions than answers.

"Why were they carrying N2 billion inside the bullet-proof SUVs allegedly taken away by the so-called robbers? Why were they carrying N2 billion to Port Harcourt, where the Court of Appeal sits? Gov Orji has always used the Owerri Airport on his domestic trips so why switch to Port Harcourt Airport on this day? Let him explain."

Okereke said he would want to remind the governor that the PDP and Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, his opponent at the Appeal Court, had waited patiently for 10 months for the Tribunal to give them justice and are prepared to wait for a few more months for the Appeal Court to confirm "our historic victory", insisting that his party had nothing to gain from the alleged assassination attempt.

The Police Commissioner, Edgar Tam Nanakumo, told newsmen at his maiden press briefing yesterday that the attack was executed by a gang numbering 20, which was laying ambush for a bullion van conveying money to Port Harcourt.

He explained that the armed men had already attacked a Mitsubishi mini bus with registration number XA 906 MBA going to Port Harcourt and killed the conductor before the arrival of Orji's convoy to the scene.

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