|
New Page 3
Ngige after my life
—Uba
CORDELIA ONU (Deputy Editor) and
THOMAS IMONIKHE (Deputy Political Editor)
ESTRANGED
political godfather to Governor Chris Ngige of Anambra State, Chief Chris Ubah,
yesterday alleged that he has uncovered a plot to assassinate him.
He named Dr Ngige as the brain behind the
plot
He alleged that the governor had already
given orders to members of the Bakassi squad (aka Anambra Vigilante Services) to
eliminate him.
However in denying the allegation, Senior
Special Assistant to the governor on Media Matters, Mr Fred Chukwuelobe,
described the claim as ridiculous. "It is laughable," Mr. Chukwuelobe told
Daily Champion over the telephone yesterday, insisting that "no such thing
was contemplated." He said that Ubah was "raising unnecessary alarm to keep the
dozens of police men guarding him and to get more."
The alleged murder plot was contained in
statement entitled: "Plot to Eliminate Chief Chris Ubah" and signed by
Ubah himself.
The statement reads:
"The assault on my character by Dr. Ngige
in the last one year is going to a new level. Ngige has said everything bad
about me and tried to paint me black before the whole Nigeria. My sin is that I
played a big part to make him governor in Anambra State.
"I have a solid intelligence report now
that Dr. Ngige is now plotting to eliminate me. He has given orders to members
of his Bakassi squad which he calls Anambra Vigilante Service (AVS) to ambush
and shoot me and my convoy any moment from now.
"Ngige has sent out his army to be on the
watch out for me. As part of the plot, some members of the AVS who were posted
to monitor my country home were recently arrested by the police at a junction
leading to my house in Uga, Aguata local government area. Police recovered some
pump action guns from the men.
"I have already lodged a report on this
threat on my life to the police command in Anambra State. I use this opportunity
to ask police for more protection. I do not take the plot by Ngige lightly
because he can commit murder today and some Nigerians will believe he is the
victim. I want the public to take note."
Chief Ubah later told Daily Champion
that he recently escaped being killed by thugs he alleged were hired by the
governor. He said that the assassins laid in wait for him at a junction close to
his country home but were arrested by the police and later released on bail
pending the time judicial workers will resume from their strike. Chief Ubah said
the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Mr Felix Ogbaudu, assured him the
"boys will be re-arrested when the courts start working again."
When contacted yesterday, Mr Ogbaudu
confirmed that Chief Ubah verbally informed him about a plot to assassinate him.
He said he was awaiting a formal complaint before taking action adding that
there had been no arrest since what was reported was plan to attack.
Chief Ubah dismissed counter-claims that
he wanted to assassinate Dr Ngige and said he was too busy to think about such
acts and to join issues with such a man as the Anambra governor.
Gov. Ngige and Chief Ubah had been at
loggerheads since July last year when the latter was fingered in the abduction
of the governor.
The Ngige camp also pointed accusing
fingers at Chief Ubah during the last November 10 to13, mayhem in the state
which left numerous government property razed.
Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police
(IGP), Mr. Tafa Balogun had been urged to immediately redeploy the state
Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ogbaudu, for his inability to contain the upheavals
in the state.
A socio-cultural organisation, Oke Ndi
Igbo Forum, which made the call weekend also asked that the perpetrators of
the mayhem that consumed government property estimated at N30 billion be
apprehended and prosecuted.
"We call on the Federal Government to
immediately fish out the sponsors and perpetrators of this heinous crime against
the nation and the good people of Anambra State and commence their trial in the
law court, the body demanded in the statement signed by its president and
secretary, Messrs Victor Oduocha and Chukwuma Onyeukwu respectively.
The group, which has also thrown its
weight behind the strong clamour for the emergence of a Nigerian president of
Igbo extraction in 2007, urged political parties to nominate and support
credible Igbo persons as their presidential candidates.
|
