….seven thugs, five security personnel, wounded
CONTRARY to his claims of surviving an assassination attempt , kogi State Governor Alhaji Yahaya Bello actually ordered his security escorts and thugs to assault Navy Personel stationed at the Banda Naval Point near Lokoja on Sunday.
The Governor who arrived the Banda Naval Point at about 3:00pm reportedly took offence when the Naval Personel attempted to pull over four vehicles, two Toyota Hilux Pick-up and two Toyota Sienna Buses conveying fierce looking thugs brandishing AK 47 Rifles and Pump-Action Shotguns.
The Naval personnel, according to witnesses, rushed to replace their barricade after they noticed two Toyota Hilux with the assault rifle local totting thugs had passed.
“The Governors car had already passed with many other cars when the Navy boys realised that two Hilux that passed before the governor were conveying familiar local Lokoja thugs holding assault weapons
” One of the officer, at the beginning of the barricades, i think he’s their superior, signalled the ones at the last barricade to block the road.
“He then asked the four vehicles with thugs to pull over for search. ”
The governor and the other vehicles in the convoy that had already passed quickly negotiated a U-turn and rushed to the assistance of the thugs.
The governor was said to have alighted and started shouting at the officers. The superior officer made to explain, but Yahaya Bello shouted at him.
” Shut up, you idiot!
“I’m calling my friend Ogalla, the Chief of Naval Staff now! All of you will be dismissed!
” I’m the Chief Security Officer of this state. How dare you.” He started dialling his phone apparently trying to call the Chief of Naval Staff.
At this point, the police and thugs numbering over 50 who accompanied the convoy had corked their guns pointing at the few Navy personnel.
Mr Bello turned his attention to the action of his men and said, “Good! Teach them a lesson they will never forget” and went back to sit in his car.
The governor watched while security personnel and mopol on the convoy proceeded to seize the Rifles of the navy personnel and asked them to do frog jump. They were trying to protest when Bello’s security and all the thugs came together and started beating the Navy people while others were pointing guns at them. Some
others were firing sporadically into the air.
Travellers trapped in their vehicles at the Banda Point jumped out and started running for their dear ives while Bello’s thugs continued beating the military men, slapping and kicking and even using gun butt’s for over 10 min before they left.
It was learnt that the Navy personnel reported the attack by Belo and his security and thugs to higher authorities, which led the army personnel at the Abaji Checkpoint to mount a road block.
When Bello’s convoy got to the point, they started shooting sporadically. This provoked the soldiers at the checkpoint to return fire and engage Bello’s police and thugs in a gun duel.
At least 11 persons on Bello’s side, seven of them thugs were said to have been fatally shot and rushed to a hospital in Abaji to be stabilised before taking them to Abuja.
The casualty on the military side is unknown at press time, but Bello was said to have been again accosted by military personnel around Kwali and had to
call several senior military officers before he could
gain right of passage .
His Commissioner of Information, One Kingsley Fanwo promptly issued a statement claiming Bello had survived an assassination attempt.