Former Governor of Rivers State and a Chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Rotimi Amaechi, has spoken of how he survived an attack from unknown gunmen on his way to Ubima in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State on Friday.
In a telephone interview with The Abuja Inquirer, Amaechi, a former Minister of Transport, said, “The plan was to stop me from going to my village. We knew they will try to stop me. So we were prepared. Thanks to our security people.”
Some armed thugs had attacked Amaechi’s convoy on the road between Ubima and Omuanwa in Ikwerre Local Government Area on his way to his community for his e-registration as a member of the ADC.
Earlier, suspected hoodlums had already mounted a roadblock, turning back buses identified as conveying ADC members who were travelling with the former governor.
The previous night, heavily armed thugs had invaded the community and set ablaze the ADC ward office in Ubima.
Eyewitnesses said the unknown gunmen shot sporadically into the community and riddled the gate of Amaechi’s family house with bullets.
However, when the ADC leader eventually arrived in the community, the armed thugs reportedly stopped his convoy, but security operatives in his team engaged the attackers.
When the security operatives displayed superior firepower, the armed thugs fled into the bushes.
Speaking in Ubima after that attack, Amaechi called on security agencies to identify and arrest the miscreants who attacked his convoy and set fire to the ADC office in Ubima, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Addressing hundreds of party members and supporters who were present to witness the e-registration exercise, Amaechi called for calm.
He thanked the Commissioner of Police, the Director of the Department of State Services, and the Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps for their swift intervention during the attack on his convoy.
Amaechi, who spoke after taking a tour of the burnt party office, said the security agencies showed professionalism in their response.
He urged members of the party not to resort to violence, noting that it was the responsibility of the police to unravel, arrest, and prosecute those behind the attacks.
“I will thank the commissioner of police and the director of DSS. They showed a lot of professionalism immediately I made contact with them.”
