Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, on Sunday, allegedly escaped an assassination attempt a few kilometres away from Abuja on his way to an official engagement from Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.
This was contained in a statement issued by the state Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingsley Fanwo, which was made available to newsmen in Lokoja.
The statement said that the attack occurred at 4pm, noting that the attackers were dressed in “military uniforms”.
He said they waylaid the governor’s convoy and started shooting sporadically at his vehicle and other vehicles in the convoy.
According to Fanwo, it took the swift intervention of security personnel attached to the governor to foil the plans of the gunmen.
The commissioner stressed that the attacks were at three different points, with the last barricade being around Kwali in the Federal Capital Territory.
“The report of these strange attacks has been properly documented at security offices in the state and at the national level for prompt and thorough investigations to avert future occurrences.
“We are not oblivious of the fact that certain elements are bent on painting Kogi unsafe ahead of the Governorship Poll slated for November 11, 2023. As an administration, we will spare nothing to ensure our citizens are not subjected to security threats by desperate politicians sponsoring violence and terrorism,” the statement said.
The statement called on Kogi citizens to remain vigilant and report suspicious movements in the domain to relevant security agencies, assuring that the peace Kogi people have been enjoying in the last eight years would not be lost on the altar of violent politics.