The controversy over the alleged assassination of Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello started with the smashing of the checkpoint of Nigeria Navy Ship (NNS) Lugard, code named NNS Lugard in Banda and their inability to stop at the Abaji Nigerian Army checkpoint manned by Presidential Guards Brigade contingent, even when blocked.
Sources confirmed that the pandemonium started when the Governor’s convoy, going from Kogi to Abuja, refused to stop at the NNS Lugard checkpoint at Banda.
The Naval personnel reportedly radioed the 176 Guard Brigade checkpoint at Abaji to block the convoy when it got there for proper identification.
Unfortunately, the convoy, manned mainly by Nigeria Police personnel, refused to stop.
A source stated:
“Yahaya Bello’s convoy rudely smashed a naval checkpoint in Banda in Lokoja, so the naval personnel now informed people in Abaji and they now blocked them.
“During the confrontation, four soldiers were wounded by the Governor’s gunmen. The checkpoint has always been there but the Governor refused to stop. Two persons in the Governor’s convoy were wounded.”
But the Governor and his team initally misread the incident, rushing to the media to accuse “unknown soldiers” of a plot to assassinate him.
According to the statement by Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo: “The Kogi State Government wishes to inform the general public that there was an assassination 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.”
While the attack was reportedly foiled by the quick intervention of the security agents, the Commissioner blamed it on the activities of certain people who were trying to display the state as unsafe ahead of the governorship election scheduled for next month.
“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.”
But Governor later countered his Commissioner for Information and Communications, declaring that there was no attempt on his life by “unknown soldiers,” telling in Abuja on Sunday evening that “there was only a minor fracas between men of the Nigerian Police Force attached to his convoy and those of a military unit manning the highways. It was in the course of both units performing their lawful security duties that the incident happened.”