Gunmen on Saturday afternoon, attacked the convoy of the Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello, along the Abuja-Lokoja Highway, leaving many people, and some of his security aides, injured.
The Commissioner for Information, Mr Kingsley Fanwo, disclosed in a statement, that the attack took place near a Naval Base, a few kilometers from the Lokoja.
According to Fanwo, the gunmen who attacked at the convoy at about 12.30 pm, were political thugs of the opposition the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
“The gunmen suspected to be political thugs of the SDP, having sighted the convoy of Bello approaching, blocked the road and started shooting at the convoy.
“A Tundra branded with the logo and flags of the party also blocked the governor’s vehicle and the occupants were armed with rifles and short guns.
“But thank God our governor left the scene unscathed and there is no cause for panic.
“Some security aides and other aides attached to the governor sustained some degrees of injuries and have been rushed to medical facilities for attention.
“We urge the people of Kogi to remain calm as security agents are in full control to ensure the arrest of the hoodlums behind the attack,” he said.
Fanwo said the state government would not allow any breakdown of law and order but would do all it could to bring the attackers to justice.
He said that the governor has warned that no APC member should get involved in any reprisal attack as insecurity from any quarter will be met with stiff penalties.
Responding to Fanwo’s allegation, Mr. Kunle Afolayo, the Media Aide to the SDP governorship candidate, Mr. Yakubu Ajaka, denied the allegations saying: “it was the other way round because it was his political thugs that attacked us.”
“Is it possible for an opposition political party to attack a governor just like that?
“We were on our way to the Palace of Maigari in Lokoja from Koton Karfe this afternoon, when the governor’s convoy, heading to Lokoja from Abuja, met us on the way and launched an attack on us just like that.
“God knows the truth. It’s unfortunate that APC administration in Kogi is using government might against us and to lie against us for a crime they committed against us,” the media aide said.
