Robbers attack former Kogi governor

Luck smiled on former Kogi State acting governor, Chief Clarence Olafemi yesterday as he narrowly escaped being killed by armed robbers. According to an eyewitness account, Olafemi was returning to Lokoja from his Mopa country home where he hosted friends and political associates when he ran into the hoodlums.


The account said the armed robbers numbering about 12 had flagged down the former governor at about 3.30 pm along Kabba-Okene Highway and shot severally at his Sport Utility Vehicle, but he managed to escape.

Bullets shattered the windscreen, while some parts of the vehicle were also seriously damaged, but the occupants escaped unhurt.

When contacted on phone, the former speaker who is popularly known as ‘Obembe’ confirmed the incident and said he had a premonition of the attack and had told his driver to be more alert while plying the road.

Moments later he said they ran into some motorists whom, they thought, their vehicle developed a mechanical problem, but they turned out to be highway robbers. One of the robbers in disguise had jumped on the road and beckoned on them to pass.

Olafemi said as they moved to drive past, the robbers flagged his car down. According to him, as the robbers made attempt to rob them, his driver zoomed off, causing the hoodlums to let off bullet volleys, which riddled the SUV and shattered its windscreen.

Olafemi, who was full of praises to God for saving his life and his driver’s, however, called on the police to be more alive in their responsibilities to the citizenry.

In another development, the former governor in his New Year message urged President Goodluck Jonathan to do everything possible not to allow the PDP break into pieces.

In a press statement personally signed by the former governor, he said he had warned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national leadership early this year that unless there was internal discipline, democracy and justice within the party, the party was bound to explode and break into pieces.

“A party which does not pay much premium on party leadership but rely on the dictates of political office holders, a party which has no internal cohesion and mechanism to resolve crisis is bound to collapse suddenly,” he added.

He said if the party had heeded to his warning, the recent mass movement of political office holders from the PDP to the All progressives Congress (APC) would have been averted, stressing that President Jonathan could still do a lot through genuine reconciliation to bring the party back to its old glory.

“We must strive for unity, genuine peace and total reconciliation, we need peace because a troubled Nigeria brings bad omen to the West African sub region, because if we run Nigeria aground, no country around us will be able to accommodate our refugees.

“ Our leaders must at this stage be very cautious. Nigeria is bigger than any individual or political position, we must not destroy it,” Olafemi warned