EDO State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has alleged that the auto crash which led to the death of three journalists in his convoy was an assassination attempt on his life.
Oshiomhole escaped death by a whisker after a truck reportedly rammed in his convoy along the Warrake Road while on his way to Auchi after receiving some Peoples Democratic Party members who defected to his party, the Action Congress of Nigeria, in Afuze on Saturday.
Apart from the three dead journalists, others in the convoy, including security and government officials, among others were seriously injured.
The governor said in Benin on Sunday, “They (truck driver and his assistant) were just inside the vehicle, they were not carrying anything, they were not carrying any goods. We asked the other occupant about the driver, he said he didn’t know, he just ran into the bush. He stayed in the bush until after we had left and those who were still around the scene saw him when he was trying to run away after we had left.
“If I was in the regular jeep (official), he could have hit me because I was driving a small car which I decided to drive myself, if I was in that car, it could have been my lot, he pushed that car off the road and then crashed into the one the journalists were driving in.
“It is a straight road and not a bend, so if he was losing control he could have swerved into the bush. When I asked the guy where is the driver, he said he (driver) opened the door of the vehicle and left, he claimed the driver just said he should follow him. I asked him, you are not under 18 and somebody just tells you, ‘follow me and then the man passed his town passed another and went into another local government and you still did not ask questions?’
“Well, we’ve asked the SSS and the police to investigate. Then, before we knew anything, the PDP was already issuing a condolence message.
“Although we’ve been hearing all kinds of things but we are not going to… the blood of those dead guys will not go in vain. We will get justice for them and more importantly those who thought that our fighting spirit will be weakened are joking, because we are challenged the more.”
Oshiomhole said he helped in rescuing those trapped in their vehicles after the accident.
“For about 40 minutes we were trying to get them out, but God is in control, I believe the devil s a liar,” he said.
Publicity Secretary of the state chapter of the PDP, Mr. Mathew Uroghide, said his party was shocked by the governor’s allegations.
He said, “My first reaction is that I am indeed taken aback that the governor is pointing accusing fingers at the PDP. It is sad that at a time the state is mourning the death of journalists, the governor is trivialising the matter by playing politics with the lives of those who died.”
Punch
Matthew Uroghide, why not respond to the claim that PDP elements were already issuing condolence messages immediately after the accident?
ReplyDeleteHmmn! u see life?
ReplyDeleteWhen's the time to issue condolences? If they delayed, somebody would take issues with it. I think our public servants should be careful in their utterances. The days of 'kill us today' activism of Adams Oshiomole are passed. He's no longer as young as he used to be. A little more sobriety is expected. My condolences go to my former colleagues who lost their lives in that unfortunate accident. Their lives are more than the mundane politics some people are trying to besnirch their memories with.
ReplyDelete