Bello counters Kogi Commissioner, says soldiers didn’t attempt to assassinate him

Bello counters Kogi Commissioner, says soldiers didn’t attempt to assassinate him

Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello has countered his Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingsley Fanwo, saying there was no assassination attempt on his life and his convoy by soldiers or anybody.

The governor was reacting to reports planted in the media by his Commissioner, claiming that there was assassination attempt on his principal by men in military uniform while he was travelling from Lokoja to Abuja on Sunday.

Bello spoke with NTA and Arise Television and explained that what happened was a fracas between his security details and military at checkpoints, stressing that he had a smooth journey to Abuja after the misunderstanding which he waded in and resolved.

His words: “This afternoon at about 1400 hours, I took off from Lokoja coming to Abuja and the journey was smooth along with my convoy and just about 1600 hours, my convoy especially the security had an encounter with another sister agency and there was a fracas. Immediately, I waded in and it was resolved from there we had a smooth journey to Abuja.

“Ever since then, I have been engaged in all activities that brought me to Abuja. Thereafter, I began to hear in social media that there was an assassination attempt on me. I want to state categorically and very clear that there was no assassination attempt on me. No assassination attempt on me, Yahaya Bello, the Executive governor of Kogi State by the military or by anybody. Between Kogi State and FCT, it is a secured route.

“Thanks be to God Almighty and members of the Military, the Nigeria Police, the DSS, the Navy, the Civil Defence, the vigilantes and the professional hunters. We have been able to secure that route, courtesy of security agencies I have mentioned and all citizens of our dear State. So, nobody would have attempted to assassinate me or anybody in my convoy. It is natural that sometimes, there may be fracas or misunderstanding between sister agencies that are performing their lawful duties. That sometime may play out, but assassination attempt, there is nothing like that and it has been resolved, but I don’t condone any act of indiscipline.

“That fracas wouldn’t have happened in the first place. I call on the Nigeria Police, the Nigerian Army, the DSS that are around me and on the road to investigate to ensure that whoever is culpable is punished according to the rules and regulations guiding their various services.

“I am a law abiding citizen and our security men have done greatly in securing our lives and livelihood. I respect men in uniform, I respect Nigerian Army. I respect Nigerian military generally and all security forces.”