Richard Elesho/ Lokoja
A first class traditional ruler in Kogi state, the Ohi of Adavi, Alhaji Muhammad Ireyi Bello, has narrated how he narrowly escaped unhurt when he was ambushed by gunmen along Lokoja-Abuja highway.
The incident happened Tuesday afternoon at Magajiya village, near Banda in Kogi state.
According to the Ohi, he was returning from the 3rd day firdau prayers held in Abuja for late Hon.Suleiman Kokori, the deceased member of the Revenue Mobilisation and physical commission, when ran to the evil men.
He said that he and other occupants of his S.U.V car were ambushed, as the car slowed down to pass through a bad portion of the road when some heavily armed men in black attire suddenly jumped from the bush into the road and were firing at his car from various directions.
He added that it took the courage of his driver to miraculously manoeuvre the car through the rain of bullets without any of the occupants sustaining injury but a minor damage to the car.
While thanking God for his narrow escape, the traditional ruler attributed the spike in banditry and armed robbery attacks on highways to the recent scrapping of S.A.R.S by the Federal government without providing a substitute, saying “you don’t scrap a whole system because of little defects, especially where there is no immediate substitute”.
The Ohi who believes the nation has been unfair to the Nigerian police by the wholesale condemnation of the institution, appealed to the Federal government to put a substitute in place as quickly as possible and also take steps to rebuild the self confidence of the force.
He stressed that whatever is invested in security is never a waste.