Governor Yahaya Bello Accused Of Assassination Attempt. Alhaji Muritala Yakubu Ajaka, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate in Kogi State, accused Governor Yahaya Bello of organizing an assassination attempt on him on Saturday.
The SDP candidate stated in a statement issued by the Director of Communication for his campaign group, Faruk Adejoh-Audu, that his motorcade was ambushed by gunmen directly commanded by the governor near the Lokoja ram market at around 3:00 p.m. on Saturday.
He went on to say that Bello was accompanied by a former member of the state House of Assembly, Friday Makama, and the Commissioner for Solid Minerals, Bashir Gegu, during the attack.
Ajaka resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in January after being barred from participating in the party’s governorship primary in the state.
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It was reported that, Alhaji Muritala Yakubu Ajaka, narrowly evaded assassination by the whiskers on Saturday afternoon when his convoy was targeted by gunmen purportedly working for the state Governor, Yahaya Bello.
Confirming the occurrence, Faruk Adejo Audu, Director of Communications, Muritala Yakubu Organisation, said in a statement made available to journalists in Lokoja that Ajaka was only saved by God’s strength.
Audu alleged that Ajaka and some vehicles escorting him were nearing Lokoja at the ram market around 3pm when two power bikes and a Toyota Hilux overtook him and forced him to stop. The assault was announced by a Mercedes Benz Limousine with Governor Bello’s official insignia, according to the statement.
“Mr Ajaka, who was on his way to keep an appointment with the Mai Geri, a first-class traditional ruler of Lokoja, and the Attah Igala in Idah, decided to abort the journey and return to Abuja after conferring with the Commander of the Lokoja Naval Base,” Audu stated. Mr Yahaya Bello has yet again received a bad mark in the use of brutal force and vulgar power.
During his eight years of draconian rule, Bello is known to have unleashed guns and gunmen on several citizens. Several people have been slain by his thugs during electioneering, and others have gone missing.
Ajaka was a member of the APC until recently, when he was driven out of the governorship nomination by Mr Yahaya Bello, who employed proxies and minions to acquire an order preventing him from participating in the primaries from a Lokoja High Court.
Today’s brute action is clearly a continuation of Bello’s desperation to prevent Yakubu from continuing in the election. We call on the incoming President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to show that his administration will not tolerate the brigandage that has killed thousands of Nigerians over the last eight years.
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The election is still five months away, but unless Mr. Bello receives a clear signal that violence will not be tolerated in the new administration, several of our citizens will be killed by his thugs and gunmen before the polls.
In the meantime, the Kogi State government The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, has made a statement in response to the incident.
According to Fanwo, Ajaka’s convoy blocked the road after seeing Governor Bello’s convoy, and Ajaka’s armed thugs allegedly began shooting intermittently at the Governor’s convoy.
According to the Commissioner, a Tundra branded with the SDP logo and SDP flags also blocked the Governor’s vehicle, and the occupants of the SDP branded Tundra were armed with rifles and shotguns.
The Governor escaped the scene uninjured, and there is no need for concern because the Governor is in good spirits. Some security aides and other aides to the Governor were injured and were brought to medical facilities for treatment.
We urge the people of Kogi State to remain calm as security agents are in full control to apprehend the hoodlums who carried out the attack. The State Government will safeguard law and order while the attackers are brought to justice.
The Governor has warned that no APC member should participate in any retaliatory attack, since insecurity from any source will result in severe sanctions.”
