Governors of the South east states have condemned the “attempted assassination” of the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and rejected what they described as the hasty conclusion by the police that it was a case of burglary.
They demanded a thorough investigation of the matter and prosecution of the culprits.
The Igbo leaders insisted that the target was to kill Ekweremadu and not to burgle his home as being peddled by the police, wondering why the attackers insisted the deputy Senate president’s son take them to his father’s bedroom.
According to the governors, the careful and methodical execution of the attack points to something more sinister than burglary. “His attempted assassination has cast a dark shadow on the state of security of lives and property in Nigeria.”
The governors spoke as Ekweremadu threatened to release video clips of how his house was invaded by the alleged assassins on Tuesday morning if the police failed to withdraw their statement that it was a case of burglary.
Adopting a motion yesterday sponsored by Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South), the Senate condemned what it called hasty conclusion by the police and asked the security agents to do thorough investigation of the alleged assassination attempt.
“For the police to quickly, without interviewing the very person to whom this incident happened, come out and declare that it was a burglary, actually burgles the mind. We know in this country that Bola Ige was killed in his home. We know also that a former gubernatorial candidate in Lagos State, Funsho Williams was also killed in his home.
“Why are the police engaging in a cover up? Why is it that, at any time that it concerns people that do not have presidential oversight or cover, they quickly come out and have a report,” Abaribe queried.
Ekweremadu, in a comment on the motion, disclosed that a deputy inspector general of police in charge of operations visited his house with the commissioner of police for the FCT on Tuesday afternoon to sympathizie with him.
“I showed them round and of course they were very sympathetic of what happened. I was shocked when I heard police saying that what happened in my house was a mere case of burglary. I am at a loss because, as we speak, they have not taken any statement from my son who was hospitalised, they have not gone to the hospital to find out what exactly what happened to my son. They have invited security personnel attached to me, who reported yesterday. Some are still reporting.
“They (police) looked at the CCTV tapes operated by the DSS and a staff of my house, apparently they were not able to figure it out. So it was easy for them to quickly dismiss what really happened.
“Unfortunately for them, later yesterday evening, a technician came and was able to figure out what happened and was able to produce the CCTV footage, including how they gained entrance into my house and how they got away into my room and the fight between them, my wife and my son and all the efforts we made to save our lives.
“I am happy that we have that in our custody which the police are not aware of. I am sure that Nigerians will be shocked on what transpired and all the efforts made to save our lives. Now that the police appear to have concluded the case, unless they withdraw the statement that it was a mere case of burglary, I may now be forced to release those footage to the media and the international community so that Nigerians can judge whether it was a case of burglary or attempt to kill me, or whether they just wanted to come to my house to have a breakfast or have a handshake with me.”
Dino Melaye said: “The police adopted a very myopic, porous and intellectually stagnant approach to a very serious matter. To start with, burglary is not mere. Anyone who is engaged in burglary has satanic intention. It is burglary that leads to assassination.
“To come out and say its mere burglary shows that the Nigeria Police has identified some individuals, that no matter what happen, we will not get their service.
“If this has happened to one of the faithful of Mr. President, this will not be the reaction of the inspector-general of police. If this has happened to one of the close friends of the Villa, this will not be the reaction of the IGP.” he added.
