The Nation Newspaper

Tag: escapes assassination

  • Ekiti: APC legislative candidate escapes assassination

    Barely a day to the state legislative polls, nationwide, the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate for the House of Assembly elections in Ekiti State, Adeyemi Ajibade, escaped assassination in his home town, Osun Ekiti, on Wednesday, March 7 by unknown assailants.

    Ajibade, who is seeking to represent Moba Constituency 1 in today’s polls, escaped assassination by unidentified invaders, who stormed his residence around 11:58 pm.

    The assassination attempt was, however, foiled by the victim’s vigilant neighbours, who trooped out to repel the hoodlums.

    While some of the goons attempted to gain entrance into Ajibade’s residence, the others reportedly loitered outside thus drawing the attention of their target’s neighbours.

    The latter, having noticed the strange movement and Ajibade’s cry for help, mobilised a rescue group and made for his residence.

    This caused the goons to retreat from Ajibade’s home and the area.

    “I thank God for voiding the attempt by using my neighbours for my safety. The hoodlums were five in number and they were with dangerous weapons. They forced the door to gain entrance and I cried for help.

    “My neighbours came out en masse to rescue me. They (his assailants) ran away when they realised that people had gathered to protect me and my family,” said Ajibade, adding that, the incident has been reported to the state’s security agencies.

    However, when contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti division, DSP Caleb Ikechukwu, said the case has not been reported at the police headquarters in Ado Ekiti.

    “I have not been briefed but I know that the matter would have been under serious investigation since the victim said our men have been informed.

    “I am going to contact our men at the Criminal Investigation Department(CID), to know how far they have gone about the case,” Ikechukwu said.

    It would be recalled, that, similar incident occurred on October 17, 2018, which led to the death of an APC Chairman in Moba local Government, Moses Adeoye, who was killed at his residence in Otun Ekiti

  • Mbaka ‘escapes’ assassination

    •Police: ‘We’re not aware’

    The Adoration Ministry, Enugu, headed by controversial Catholic priest, Reverend Father Ejike Mbaka, yesterday alleged an attempt on his life in the Enugu State capital.

    Representatives of the ministry claimed in a statement that Mbaka was shot at last Thursday night on Emene Road in Enugu by some unknown people but he escaped unhurt.

    Chief Aka Emmanuel, President, National Adoration Family; Chief Okolo Godwin, President, Adoration Fathers’ Associations World Wide; Mrs Ann Aligwe,President, Adoration Mothers’ Association World Wide; Chukwu Agoziem, President,  Adoration Youths’ Association World Wide; and Barr Ike Maximus Ugwuoke,Media Chief said the development came to them as a rude shock and utter surprise.

    But the police said they were unaware of any such attack on Mbaka at press time.

    The Adoration Ministry representatives said: “It is with rude shock and utter surprise that we received the report of the attempted assassination plot of the Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry Enugu Nigeria last made Thursday evening by some unknown gunmen who fired gun shots at him on his way along Emene road Enugu.

    “This incident has added to several other assassination plots targeted at Fr Mbaka since after the first plot was carried out on him on his way from the Bishop’s house where he had gone to answer an impromptu call by his Bishop during the regime of Governor Chimaroke Nnamani of Enugu State.

    “This assassination plot against Fr Mbaka is coming barely few days after the 2018 Harvest and Bazaar of the Ministry where Fr Mbaka had come under massive media attack for asking Peter Obi, the PDP Vice Presidential Candidate for the 2019 general election who attended the Bazaar programme, to make public his support or donation for the Church Project of the Ministry.

    “Many Supporters of Peter Obi and even clergies have misconstrued this as embarrassing to Peter Obi and to the Catholic Church and this has consequently given rise to the statement issued by the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) that same Thursday on the issue.

    “The issue had lingered in spite of the apology  which Fr Mbaka, in his characteristic humility ,had tendered at the altar to Peter Obi and anyone who may have been in any way form and kind been offended at the Bazaar event.

    “We have refrained from making any official statement on the ongoing media attack against Fr Mbaka over the Baazar incident because he had held us from joining issues with the Church Clergies and hierarchies on the subject, but we cannot continue to keep silent especially now that the issue is taking the dimension of plot to exterminate his life.

    “We recall that the last time Fr Mbaka raised alarm over threat to exterminate him was in early 2015 when he faced a similar persecution by some church hierarchy and the PDP Government following his 31st December prophecy of the imminent defeat of former President Goodluck Jonathan led PDP Government by President Mohammadu Buhari at the 2015 General Election.

    “Today, with the 2019 general election around the corner, it appears that history is repeating itself. The contemporaneousness of the recent attack of Fr Mbaka by gunmen with the Peter Obi and the CBCN saga leaves us to a safe conclusion that the attack on Fr Mbaka may have either been politically engineered or ecumenically endorsed, and thus we will not hesitate to call on the security agencies in this country to beam their searchlights and leave no stone unturned in getting to the root of this issue.

    “Fr Mbaka’s life means so much to us and many poor and voiceless Nigerians for whom he lives and so we cannot be silent on the face of any threat to his life real or perceived.

    The Police however said last night that no report of any such attack had been brought to their notice at press time.

    Spokesman for the State Police Command, Ebere Amaraizu, told our correspondent the command was unaware of the alleged assassination attempt.

     

  • Rivers APC gov candidate escapes assassination

    •I’m undeterred, says Cole

    The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Pastor Tonye Cole, and his team on ward-to-ward consultation narrowly escaped assassination at Bakana-Kalabari in the state.

    Cole, a businessman and co-founder of Sahara Group, however, said yesterday in Port Harcourt, that he remained undeterred in his determination to ensure good governance in Rivers.

    The Director-General of Tonye Cole Campaign Organisation, Dr. Chidi Lloyd, also stated that the standard bearer of APC in Rivers would pull the state out of backwardness, poverty and the abyss of bad governance.

    He disclosed that it took the security detachment attached to the APC’s governorship candidate to repel the attackers from advancing to kill Cole, a Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).

    The campaign organisation’s chief said: “Bloodbath was averted at Old Bakana, as gunmen alleged to be sponsored by a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) serving commissioner in Nyesom Wike’s government from the area, opened heavy gunfire on Pastor Cole and his team, as they were carrying out ward-to-ward consultation in the community.

    “On arrival at the community and as is usual with the team, Pastor Cole and other leaders of the APC on the delegation had gone to pay a courtesy visit on the traditional head of the community, prior to commencement of the exercise, when heavy gunfire erupted from all directions of the community.

    “Cole immediately showed courage and leadership by ordering his team members to remain calm indoors, while the security detachment attached to the team was allowed to repel the advancing armed attackers.

    “It took a while before the marauding gunmen were repelled by the security men and the area secured. Subsequently, Cole directed that the exercise must go on at the designated arena, after which the team departed for Bakana to continue with the exercise.

    “Tonye Cole Campaign Organisation and APC vehemently condemn the dastardly act, reminiscent of what was carried out in 2015 against the APC and its governorship candidate (Dr. Dakuku Peterside) in Okrika and other similar incidents carried out by PDP and their gunmen across Rivers State.”

    Lloyd also reiterated that just on Thursday, instead of the PDP members to tackle its internal crisis that had snowballed into open confrontation between them in Ikwerre Local Government, they found it convenient to blame APC members for the violence and killing of two persons at Ipo in the LGA.

    He noted that Rivers APC leaders also alerted the world that the PDP leaders were merely pointing at the APC to cover up their internal turmoil, while emphasising the fact that it was a ploy to prepare the grounds for them to commence another round of bloody attacks on APC members in the state, declaring that in just about 24 hours, their fears had manifested.

    The Director-General of Tonye Cole campaign organisation said: “The governorship candidate of our party, Pastor Cole, is a God-fearing gentleman, whose only driving force to lead Rivers State is hinged on his conviction that every aspect of Rivers society is broken and needs urgent mending. He believes that if our youths are given jobs, they will not make themselves available for criminal enterprise.

    “Let us serve notice that forces of darkness behind the violence and their allies will never be able to deter, intimidate or stop Pastor Cole and his supporters from the task of providing the enabling environment to mend and pull our society out of backwardness, poverty and from the abyss of bad governance.

    “We call on the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Director of the Department of State Service and other security agencies to thoroughly and diligently investigate the incident and all such incidents, with a view to bringing to justice those directly and indirectly behind them.”

    Lloyd assured that APC’s governorship candidate would be Rivers governor from May 29 next year, through the massive support of the state’s electorate, who he said were yearning for positive and impactful change.

     

  • Enugu APC chairman escapes assassination

    •Blames intra-party crisis

    The Enugu State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Ben Nwoye, escaped death by the whiskers in the early hours of yesterday, as heavily armed suspected assassins invaded his Enugu residence.

    According to Nwoye, the hoodlums, who gained entrance into the compound at about 2:15 am, shot one of the police officers attached to him, Mr. Gerald Eke, on the head, and took away his official riffle.

    The police orderly, Eke, who was shot by the gunmen, is currently at the Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu.

    The chairman said: “It is only God that saved my life. It all happened between 2.15 and 2.20 a.m. I heard banging on the gate; it persisted for 10 or more minutes. It was followed by gun shots for a long time; the next thing was that Gerald Eke, one of the policemen attached to me, started screaming that he has been hit.

    “It happened within 5 to 10 minutes; I came out and saw blood gushing from his head. At this point, I was calling the CP, calling DCP operations, he picked and I told him what was going on. The policeman’s gun was taken. You can see bullet shots in the wall.

    “They took him to Park lane from where he was referred to Orthopaedic Hospital.”

    Nwoye blamed the crisis within his party for the attack.

    He said: “It is a shame; this is a politically calculated attempt on my life. I hope they are tracked and made to face the law. By now, my body would have been deposited in the morgue and life goes on. But my death will not make them to get the positions they are looking for, even if they succeed, it won’t make any difference.”

    Police spokesman, Superintendent Ebere Amaraizu, said the police are on top of the matter.

     

  • UNICAL’s chancellor escapes assassination in Aba

    The Chancellor and Governing Board Chairman of the University of Calabar (UNICAL), Senator Nkechi Nwaogu, has reportedly escaped assassination by five gunmen in military camouflage.

    The incident, it was gathered, happened on the Enugu-Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway while Nwaogu, who is running for the Abia Central Senatorial District under the All Progressives Congress (APC), was heading to Aba with her team.

    They were said to be returning from Umuahia, the state capital.

    The former lawmaker reportedly said her security detail repelled the gunmen when the hoodlums attempted to break into her home.

    Luck ran out on the gang when a combined team of policemen and soldiers attached to Ngwa High School Forward Operation Base, Charlie Coy of 144 Battalion in Ukwa West Local Government Area, raided a popular hotel on Kamalu Street, off Aba-Owerri Road, near Nwaogu’s home, where the suspects reportedly lodged.

    While it was not clear if any weapon was recovered in the raid, it was gathered that the combined security agencies recovered a Mercedes Benz 190, which the gunmen allegedly drove to the scene.

    Some residents said the joint operation took place between 11 p.m and 1 a.m on Monday night.

    Contacted, Nwaogu told our reporter on phone that the gunmen were arrested after she alerted Police Commissioner Anthony Ogbizi.

    According to her, she contacted the police chief when she heard that the gang lodged in a hotel sharing the same fence with her home.

    The senatorial aspirant said the gunmen were arrested by a combined team of security operatives from Aba Area Command and Ngwa High School’s Army FOB.

    Sources at the Aba Area Command and 144 Battalion of the Army, who spoke in confidence, confirmed the arrest of the suspects by the sister security agencies.

    It was gathered that the suspects were taken to 14 Brigade headquarters to ascertain if they are genuine soldiers or not.

    Efforts to reach the spokesman for the 14 Brigade, Major Oyegoke Gbadamosi, were unsuccessful last night.

     

  • Zimbabwe president escapes assassination

    — VP, others injured

    Zimbabwean President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, yesterday  survived a blast at a rally of the ruling ZANU-PF party in Bulawayo, his spokesman said, adding that he had been taken to safety after the incident.

    But one of the two vice presidents, Kembo Mohadi, was injured, according to The Zimbabwe Herald.

    Mohadi suffered leg injuries in the bomb blast.

    The Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri ,was also injured, Herald said.

    There were two other senior government officials that were also affected, who have been admitted to the hospital. But the newspaper did not give their names.

    According to the Herald, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga is also reported to be safe.

    Presidential spokesman, Mr. George Charamba, said: “President Mnangagwa has not been injured and is at Bulawayo State House. Investigations are underway and more details will be given to the public. There have been multiple attempts on the President’s life over the past five years.”

    The Sunday Mail said several security personnel attached to VIPs were also injured

    Images broadcast on Zimbabwean TV showed scenes of chaos and medics fighting to save those wounded by the blast at the White City stadium in the country’s second city Bulawayo.

    Mnangagwa had been in the city to campaign for votes ahead of nationwide elections due on July 30.

    They are the first polls since veteran leader, Robert Mugabe, was ousted following a brief military takeover in November last year, after 37 years in power.