Ekweremadu escapes assassination attempt

The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, yesterday escaped suspected assassination attempt in the nation’s capital, Abuja. According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the Deputy Senate President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Uche Anichukwu, the attempt occurred about 10a.m. between Apo Flyover and Dantata Construction Company’s yard, close to the Old Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Headquarters junction on his way to the National Assembly. The suspected assassins, according to Anichukwu, operated in an unmarked, tinted, brand new, white-coloured Mercedez Benz AMG E63.

The vehicle, which was positioned by the Apo Bridge, on noticing that Ekweremadu’s convoy took the right turn to join the Nnamdi Azikiwe Expressway instead, made a turn and attempted to ram into the convoy, but was blocked. The driver, however, sped off to the Apo Roundabout and on sighting the convoy of the Deputy President of the Senate, violently broke into the convoy and made several frantic attempts to ram into the senator’s official car.

The vehicle, according to the statement, refused to stop when charged at by the security operatives attached to the Deputy President of the Senate. “But when pushed to a tight corner, the Benz driver made a U-turn, partially smashed an oncoming vehicle on the opposite lane of the highway, and escaped,” the statement said. Anichukwu said that the matter had been reported to the security agencies for investigation.