Governor Amaechi Recounts His Near Bloody Encounter With Soldiers In Akure
Gov. Amaechi being harassed by security operatives
The Rivers state governor,
Rotimi Amaechi who was ambushed by security operatives in Ado-Ekiti on
his way to attend the final rally of his party, APC, ahead of today’s
governorship election has recounted his ordeal in the hands of the
soldiers in Akure.
Speaking to newsmen in Lagos yesterday,
the governor said the soldiers who were acting on ‘order from above’,
physically harassed and threatened to kill him.
The Nation reports that Amaechi revealed some officials of the
federal government are working with military personnel to rule the
country by the use of force.According to Amaechi, if he had known that he would get into trouble he would have stayed in his house.
Recounting his ordeal, he said he had landed safely at Akure airport and on his way to Ado Ekiti, he sighted about 15 soldiers, who corked their guns and took positions as soon as they saw him.
Amaechi said, "They stopped me and said I would not go to Ekiti. Meanwhile, other vehicles were going. They told me they were on order not to allow Governor Amaechi get to Ekiti. I asked if it was
all the governors that were placed on the order, but they said: ‘It is you alone.’"
As he was leaving, he said he got a call
from his party’s hierarchy who told him they were aware of what was
happening and were coming to meet him so he stopped, only to realize the
soldiers were still trailing him, after about seven kilometres of
driving.
They came to him and told him he had 20 minutes to move out of the area or they would shoot him.
"Everybody was panicking. Now, I was
ready for the shooting, so I made my prayers. As I made my prayer, I
told them I was ready for the shooting. I stayed put. After 20 minutes,
they told us they gave us 10 more minutes or they would shoot. I said
they better start shooting because in 10 minutes I woud be there," the governor said.
While he was still there waiting, Lai Mohammed, Rotimi Akeredolu and another senator sent by his party, came to meet him.
Gov. Amaechi decried the situation,
describing as really unfortunate the democracy that the country pretends
to have which according to him is a collaboration between civilians and
military men.
It would be recalled that on Thursday, June 19, Amaechi had flown into Akure in a chartered plane from Port Harcourt only for the plane to be grounded by the authorities and he was being held hostage for about an hour.
