Amaechi Recounts His Nearly Bloody Encounter With Soldiers In Akure

The Rivers state governor, Rotimi Amaechi who was
ambushed by security operatives in Ado-Ekiti on his way to
attend the final rally of his party, APC, ahead of today's
governorship election has recounted his ordeal in the hands
of the soldiers in Akure.
Speaking to newsmen in Lagos yesterday, the governor said
the soldiers who were acting on 'order from above', physically
harassed and threatened to kill him.
Gov. Amaechi being harassed by security operatives
The Nation reports that Amaechi revealed some officials of the
federal government are working with military personnel to
rule the country by the use of force.
According to Amaechi, if he had known that he would get into
trouble he would have stayed in his house.
Recounting his ordeal, he said he had landed safely at Akure
airport and on his way to Ado Ekiti, he sighted about 15
soldiers, who corked their guns and took positions as soon as
they saw him.
Amaechi said, "They stopped me and said I would not go to
Ekiti. Meanwhile, other vehicles were going. They told me they
were on order not to allow Governor Amaechi get to Ekiti. I
asked if it was all the governors that were placed on the
order, but they said: 'It is you alone .'"
As he was leaving, he said he got a call from his party's
hierarchy who told him they were aware of what was
happening and were coming to meet him so he stopped, only
to realize the soldiers were still trailing him, after about seven
kilometres of driving.
They came to him and told him he had 20 minutes to move
out of the area or they would shoot him.
"Everybody was panicking. Now, I was ready for the
shooting, so I made my prayers. As I made my prayer, I told
them I was ready for the shooting. I stayed put. After 20
minutes, they told us they gave us 10 more minutes or they
would shoot. I said they better start shooting because in 10
minutes I woud be there ," the governor said.
While he was still there waiting, Lai Mohammed, Rotimi
Akeredolu and another senator sent by his party, came to
meet him.
Gov. Amaechi decried the situation, describing as really
unfortunate the democracy that the country pretends to have
which according to him is a collaboration between civilians
and military men.
It would be recalled that on Thursday, June 19, Amaechi had
flown into Akure in a chartered plane from Port Harcourt only
for the plane to be grounded by the authorities and he was
being held hostage for about an hour.
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN