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 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.”