Contrary to the claim by his commissioner for information, the governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello on Sunday said no attempt was made to assassinate him.
The commissioner, Kingsley Fanwo, announced on Sunday that Mr Bello’s convoy was attacked on his way to Abuja from Lokoja, the Kogi State capital. He claimed the attack was an assassination attempt on the governor.
“The Kogi state government wishes to inform the general public that there was an assassination attempt on the governor of the state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, a few kilometres away from Abuja, on his way to an official engagement from Lokoja.
“The attack occurred at about 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 22.
“The attackers, who were dressed in military uniforms, waylaid the governor’s convoy and started shooting sporadically at his vehicle and other vehicles in the convoy.
“It took the swift intervention of the security personnel attached to the governor to foil the satanic plans of the unknown soldiers,” Mr Fanwo alleged.
However, Mr Bello told journalists in Abuja that the incident was a minor disagreement between his security details and a sister security agency and no attempt was made on his life.
“This afternoon at about 14000 hours, we took off from Lokoja coming to Abuja and the journey was smooth along with my convoy. Just about 16000 hours, my convoy, the security especially had an encounter with another sister agency and there was a fracas. Immediately we waded in and it was resolved. From there we had a smooth journey down to Abuja and ever since I came I’ve been engaging in all the activities that brought me to Abuja.
Instead of blaming his commissioner for originally claiming the incident was an attempt on his life, the governor suggested the allegation emanated on social media.
“Thereafter I began to hear on social media about assassination attempt. I want to state categorically very clear, dear Nigerians, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, that there was no assassination attempt on me, Yahaya Bello, the executive governor of Kogi State by the military or by anybody,” the governor said.
The governor said the Lokoja – Abuja highway is safe and that an assassination attempt on him or anyone on his convoy couldn’t have been possible.
He commended various security agencies including the military, police, state security service agents, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense corp, vigilante group members and professional hunters for securing the highway.
Bello noted that it is “natural” to have such misunderstanding between operatives of sister security agencies. He, however, called on the authorities to investigate the fracas.
“It’s natural. Sometimes there will be fracas between sister agencies that are performing their lawful duties; that sometimes can’t be ruled out. But assassination attempt, there is nothing like that. It has been resolved.
“And I don’t condone any act of indiscipline. That fracas to even have happened in the first place, I called on the Nigerian Police, the Nigerian Army, the DSS and all law enforcement agencies that are around me and on the road to investigate it and ensure that whoever is culpable is punished according to the rules and regulations of the various services,” Bello said.
