Wednesday, January 07, 2015
News Man
People were seriously
injured when armed youths shot at vehicles conveying supporters of the
All Progressives Congress from Asari-Toru and Khana Local Government
Areas of Rivers State to the inaugural presidential campaign of Maj.
Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).
The attacks were said to have occurred
at the same time (5.30am) as the party faithful made their way to the
Adokiye Amasiemaka Stadium in Omagwa, Ikwerre Local Government Area.
It was learnt that nobody died in the attack by armed youths said to
be thugs working for the Peoples Democratic Party along the
Bori-Saakpenwa Road in Bori, Khana LGA.
An eyewitness, who spoke with The Punch on
the telephone, accused a former militant leader of being behind the
attacks on the APC supporters.The ex-militant is a member of the PDP
from Gokana LGA.
A source said five of the victims who were shot in Bori were rushed to a hospital in Port Harcourt where some bullets were extracted from their bodies.
The APC Chairman in Ward Six, Khana LGA , Mr. Doole Adoonam, said the
APC supporters were in a convoy of three buses when they ran into an
ambush by some gunmen.
He said,
“Seven people from my ward are lying critically ill in the hospital.
They sustained gunshot wounds from the early morning attack along
Bori-Saakpenwa Road.Those injured were APC faithful, who were on their
way to attend the commencement of the campaign by the APC presidential
candidate, in Port Harcourt.On approaching the Mile 30 axis of Bori
Saakpenwa Road, some gunmen opened fire on two of our buses, injuring
some of my party men and women. The attack was too spontaneous for the drivers to beat a retreat.”
Explaining that it was God that spared the lives of the APC supporters, Adoonam added,
“Two of my party faithful- a young lady and a young man- are in very critically condition. As we speak, I pray nothing happens to them.
“But we are not deterred by the action of some hired
marksmen. Ogoni know who they want and our vote must count this time.
We are not new to arms struggle and they (gunmen) cannot intimidate us.”
At the rally, Governor Rotimi Amaechi, accused the Peoples Democratic
Party of being responsible for the attack on the APC supporters in
Asari-Toru and Khana LGAs.
He condemned the shooting of the APC supporters, saying members of the
PDP believed in guns while their APC counterparts believed in God and
man.
“The fact that they shot you, brings to the fore, the argument we put
forward that currently, the government in power cannot protect you and
I. If the government could protect you and I, why were we shot at? Who
bought guns for those people who shot at our members?
“When we came, we addressed insecurity. In the past, we could not have
had our rally here. We are gradually going back to that. I hear
today(Tuesday) that members of the APC from Asari-Toru and Khana
(Ogoni) LGAs were shot at on their way to this place.
“I thank God for this opportunity. I never knew I would be governor
today, I am governor by the grace of God. I have stayed in office till
2015. By this time last year, the men who thought they were God, thought I would have been out of office.
“By this time last year, men had collected money to remove us from
office, but the God we worship never allowed it to happen. Now, they are
the people struggling. We told them there will be this time, when they
will be looking for our votes.
“I want to thank all of you for accepting to make me your governor. I
may not have been the best governor you have ever seen. I am not a perfect man at all, because I am human.”
Amaechi, who explained that he never knew that he would be the governor
of Rivers State, explained that those who wanted to remove him from
office were currently struggling politically.
Reacting to the incident in Asari-Toru Local Government Area, the state
Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ahmad Mohammad, said
investigation started immediately after complaint of attack on a bus
conveying some persons to Port Harcourt was received.
However, the State Assistant Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Samuel
Nwanosike, disagreed with Amaechi that the party was behind the attack
on the APC supporters .
Nwanosike described the allegation as baseless, adding that the governor
should have allowed the police to carry out their investigation before
making such an allegation.
see photo below :
