The Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, and the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, on Saturday accused each other of attempted assassination.
This followed a clash between the convoys of the two Rivers State top politicians when they crossed path at Trans-Amadi Industrial Layout by Nkpogu in Port Harcourt.
While Amaechi was said to be coming into town from the Port Harcourt International Airport, Wike had embarked on project inspection.
Amaechi alleged that he was threatened with a gun by one of Wike’s outrider.
The spokesman of the All Progressives Congress in the state, claimed the outrider blocked Amaechi’s car, after allowing Amaechi’s security cars to pass.
Amaechi was said to be on official tour of the state, where he was the governor between 2007 and 2015.
He was driving his car in the company of Prince Tonye Princewill, who was a witness to the gun incident.
The APC in the state claimed it was an assassination attempt and that it failed because Amaechi was inside a bullet proof car.
The claim has not been verified.
“A report made available to us by an associate to Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi who happened to be in the same car with the Minister indicates that Governor Wike’s outrider pulled a pistol to assassinate Rotimi Amaechi but missed his target after which Amaechi’s ADC, Debiwari intervened to save the Minister from further assassination attempt,” the APC claimed in a statement by Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze.
Tonye Princewill was further quoted to have said: “I am at a loss if this was not an assassination attempt on the Minister, somebody should explain to me in a clearer sentence why did the Wike’s despatch rider(outrider) failed to stop the two security vehicles of the Minister which had already crossed but decided for whatever reasons to block the vehicle in which the Minister was driving?
“Why was Amaechi who was behind the steering to navigate his vehicle out of danger accosted by two security men from the Governor’s convoy who had pulled out their pistol and gun to shoot him. Why did these men of darkness after realising that the vehicle that the Minister was driving was a Bullet Proof resort to hitting the jeep with the butt of their guns and in the process broke the right driving mirror and attempted to break Amaechi’s windscreen and after which he pulled his pistol to kill Amaechi?”
The APC further claimed that after the failed attempt to kill the Minister, his escort team was assaulted by the Chief Security Officer of the Government House, SP Promise Wosu, and Governor Wike along Trans Amadi Road, Port Harcourt with the FSARS operatives on the Minister’s convoy dislodged and forcefully disposed off of one of their AK 47 Rifles.
A statement by Wike’s media aide, Simeon Nwakaudu, said: “Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, on Saturday escaped assassination, as Special Anti-Robbery Squad operatives and soldiers of the Nigerian Army in the motorcade of the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, attacked his convoy.
“The governor, who was on project inspection, was attacked at Nwanja Junction on Trans-Amadi Road. The SARs personnel and soldiers in the minister’s convoy hit down the governor’s escort rider and attacked the policemen in the pilot car. Mr Debewari, Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to the minister of transportation, supervised the attack, which included damage of cameras held by journalists.
“Also part of the attack was the Commander of F-SARS in Rivers State, Mr. Akin Fakorede (a Chief Superintendent of Police), who received the minister of transportation at the Port Harcourt International Airport and accompanied him on his trip.”