The senator, representing Abia Central Senatorial District, Chief (Mrs.) Nkechi Nwaogu, has re­counted how she was almost killed by thugs recently in Abia State.
The senator addressed a press confer­ence where she said thuggery should not be allowed to creep into the politics of Abia, a state she said had always enjoyed peace.
Excerpts from the press briefing:
We heard that some thugs attacked your convoy, how exactly did it happen?
On Friday, August 29, we went to Umuahia to attend the burial ceremony of the assassinated Commissioner for Agri­culture in Abia State and on our way back, we went to His Eminence (Eze) Bernard Enweremmadu’s palace at Ngwa Ukwu for his New Yam Festival. After the event, we were heading back to Aba and on getting to Uratta Amaekpu junction in Isiala Ngwa North Local Government, along the Enugu/ Port Harcourt Expressway, some cars blocked us right in the middle of the road and prevented us from passing. That was at about 6.45pm. The hoodlums had been waiting for us because I believe they knew where we went.
When we approached, there were lots of young men; they were shooting and I saw the transition committee chairman of a local government (name withheld), telling them that Gov. Theodore Orji had zoned the governorship to Abia South and that the governor instructed them not to allow anybody not from Abia South to campaign. As he was saying this, he was shooting and the policemen in my convoy came to our rescue. I was frightened because in the first place, I am not aware I have been told that I cannot contest for governorship, which is what I’m vying for on the platform of PDP. I am not aware also that I have been banned from contesting to become the next governor in 2015. I am aware that I am the only woman, contesting for governorship of this state.
This boy (the transition committee chairman); it’s not the first time that he had tried to embarrass me. In fact, I believe it is an attempted assassination. If there hadn’t
been an intervention from the policemen that I was given, who knows what would have happened to me by now. For them to be shooting, for the small boys to be shoot­ing and he himself (TC chairman) was also shooting and beckoning some boys inside the bush around there and they all came out, this was a clear attempt to assassinate me but I thank God that nothing happened to me and to any of the people that were with me.
Did you report the matter to the police?
It’s been reported to the director, SSS, and also to the police, although I was unable to reach the Commissioner of Police myself because his line did not go through then. But if and when I get the Commissioner of Police, I will talk to him because if this thing is not nipped in the bud, it could result to lawlessness and truncate the peace we have enjoyed in this state. It has also been reported to the governor. I sent the gover­nor a text message and told him about the unfortunate incident and he said he would look into it. I believe he would look into it because he would not allow his name to be dragged into the mud.
What do we make out of the incident?
With what happened, thuggery is creeping into Abia politics and it should be nipped in the bud. The incident has also shown that we have a miscreant in the society, who has been causing havoc; this boy would have killed me or his stray bullet would have hurt me or any member of my entourage for no reason. He is not a policeman, he is not a military man and
what was a mere transition committee chair­man, doing with guns? So, what I’m saying is that security operatives should look into it because you don’t play or joke with this kind of thing, waylaying a serving senator, accosting people on the road, blocking an expressway with cars and then shooting sporadically and chanting, ‘Ochendo (the governor) said he had zoned the governor­ship to Abia South, nobody from Abia Central should contest’. He has been going about boasting and telling everybody that the governor has assured him of protection and that was why he was re-appointed as TC Chairman, that he will be the one that will stop anybody who he wants to stop, that he is the mouthpiece and that is what he has been doing. It can be investigated. We have not started campaigning but I believe I have 100 per cent right to campaign, to contest and eventually to win by the grace of God. I do not think that it is my governor that told this boy to say so and that is what he is doing everywhere.
My only offence was that this boy asked for money and I refused. Sometime ago, he asked that I should give him N20million, that he would use it to create a good impres­sion before the governor of the state on my behalf, and I said that was insulting. That is why this boy has been maligning me, dis­respecting me because I refused to become a conduit. That is why he is doing all these. Why should I be the one to pay money to a tout like that to go and paint good story before the governor on my behalf? This is extortion.
With this incident, what’s your advice to your supporters?
My advice to them is to be vigilant as well as remain calm because we cannot take the laws into our hands. Though this boy has been boasting, I know he is an ordinary citizen like any other person. So, I’m asking my supporters to be calm, that the law enforcement agents will take care of this situation. This thug is growing into a monster and something has to be done now before he kills someone.

How thugs attacked me in Abia, by Sen Nkechi Nwaogu