Abia ex-Commissioner narrates miraculous escape from Fulani herdsmen on highway
* Says he reported to army checkpoint few meters away but was ignored
By Steve Oko
Former Commissioner for Information, Abia State, Eze Chikamnayo, has given a harrowing account of how he escaped by providence, the bullets of killer herdsmen that attempted to abduct him.
The former Commissioner said he was traveling to Enugu when the incident occurred few meters before the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, UNTH juncture Ituku /Ozala , on the Enugu /Port Harcourt Express Way.
This ,according to him, happened Sunday evening , the same day an Enugu monarch, HRH Eze Simon Orji and his wife were abducted by gun men suspected to be Fulani herdsmen.
The whereabouts of the monarch and his wife has remained unknown even though a source said his abductors had made a demand of N50 million ransom.
The former Commissioner said his car was riddled with bullets even though he and the boy travelling with him were unhurt.
Chikamnayo, though thankful to God for his miraculous escape from the hands of the herdsmen, expressed shock that solders who were at a military checkpoint a few meters from the scene of the incident could not go after them even when he alerted them.
He called for serious action by government particularly South East Governors against the menace as anybody could be victim anytime.
Herdsmen atrocities in the South East have be on the increase since this month as they killed a Catholic priest in Awgu on August first.
Below is a full text of his narration obtained by Wawa News Global in Abia Monday evening :
“Yesterday, around 5:30 Pm as I drove from Isuochi to Enugu, the unthinkable happened. This was just before UNTH after Awgu junction.
“Suddenly, this hooded Person jumped out of the bush in front of me and started shooting at my Car. Before I could make anything out of it another three appeared a bit in front and bullets started flying everywhere. I have been hearing about Fulani Herdsmen but what I saw yesterday is better imagined than experienced.
“The stories I have read on how these guys operate and THE EVER ABIDING PRESENCE OF JEHOVAH all worked in those few minutes. I was determined not to stop. My Staff, Prince, who was on the Passenger sit literally passed out. As the bullets rained on my Car, I kept speeding away.
“About one Kilometer from there, Just before UNTH and NNPC Mega Station was a Military Checkpoint. I heaved a sigh of relief and slowed down. I told the Army guy what was going on just behind their Post. He casually told me that they were aware.. that the driver in front of me just told them. I asked him why he was still standing there without making any move to save the vehicles behind, and he just looked at me blankly and waved me on.
“By now, my entire dashboard was full of red lights. The temperature of my Car hit the highest point on the meter. I slowly drove down to the front of NNPC opposite UNTH and pulled the Car out of the road.
“It was then it dawned on me what happened. There were over 20 bullet holes in my front fender. Most of these bullets hit directly at my Radiator and other things in front of the engine. The tyres which they were after, didn’t get a scratch. There were also two bullet holes on the passenger side of the Car. And few others around the Booth. Let God be praised !
“But in ALL these, NOT ONE OF THOSE BULLETS TOUCHED MY BODY AND THAT OF PRINCE, the boy with me. Iam yet to know what became of other incoming vehicles. But at the Military Checkpoint, we pleaded with the army people to alert others not to go in that direction.
“Praise God with me. Nigeria is surrounded. Nowhere is safe. This thing is far more serious.
“The Government and people of Nigeria should better treat this as an emergency. It’s beyond Politics. Anyone can be a victim.”
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