The Kogi State Government has raised the alarm over three “assassination” attempts on the governor of the state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, saying the attempts on the governor’s life were part of a plan to portray the state as unsafe ahead of the November 11 governorship election.
According to a press statement titled, ‘Assassination Attempt On The Governor’ and signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, the attackers, who were dressed in military uniforms, waylaid the governor’s convoy and started shooting sporadically at Bello’s vehicle and others in the convoy.
He noted that Governor Bello was attacked at three different points on the Lokoja-Abuja highway, the last being around Kwali Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) at about 4.20 pm on Sunday evening.
Fanwo added that it took the swift intervention of the security personnel attached to the governor to foil the “satanic plans of the unknown soldiers.”
“The Kogi State Government wishes to inform the general public that there was an assasination attempt on the Governor of the state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, CON, a few kilometres away from Abuja, on his way to an official engagement from Lokoka.
“The attack occurred at about 4pm on Sunday, October 22, 2023.
“The attackers who were dressed in military uniforms waylaid the Governor’s convoy and started shooting sporadically at his vehicle and other vehicles in the convoy. It took the swift intervention of the security personnel attached to the Governor to foil the satanic plans of the unknown soldiers.
“The attacks were at three different points, the last barricade being around Kwali Federal Capital Territory at about 4.20pm.
“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.
“We call on the citizens to remain vigilant and report suspicious movements in the domain to relevant security agencies. It is the responsibility of the Government to ensure security and we want to assure you that the peace we have enjoyed as a state in the last eight years won’t be lost on the altar of violent politics,” the Commissioner stated.