A chieftain of the Labour Party and former Publicity Secretary of the party in Rivers State, Mr Benjamin Chimezie, on Tuesday escaped assassination attempt in Port Harcourt.
The incident was said to have occurred around Waterside area of Port Harcourt when armed men in an unnumbered Toyota vehicle opened fire on the car Chimezie was traveling in.
A Chieftain of the party in Andoni Local Government Area of the state, Allwell Obe, who confirmed the incident to our correspondent, said the former Publicity Secretary was in the vehicle in company of a friend when the assassination attempt was made.
Obe said Chimezie had just arrived Port Harcourt from Andoni where he had traveled to for political meetings over the weekend when the incident happened.
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Obe who did not rule out the currently political crisis in the State as responsible for the assassination attempt, said that the former Publicity Secretary have maintained a dominant voice against the crisis.
“You know, Mr Chimezie is a strong willed personality and had always fought for an egalitarian society.
“Perhaps, his positon in the present political crisis between the immediate past govenor of the State and his benefactor and incubent governor, has not gone down well with some persons.
“I am aware that he has received some unanimous calls and strange messages on his stand on the matter which didn’t slow him down,” he stated.
Obe called on security agencies, particularly the Nigerian Police to carryout investigation on the matter.
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He said failure to do that may snowball into another era of political assassination that characterised the State in time past.
According to him, “This is not just about Chimezie, we are all not unaware of what happened in the past where people were killed in their number for lending their voices to the polity of the State.
“It’s my prayer that we don’t go back to such period. However, the law enforcement agency must do the needful to avoid that.
“All we agitate for as citizens of Rivers State is a peaceful society as only this will engender development across the State.”
Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko who also confirmed the incident, said investigation has commenced on the matter.
“We are aware of the incident but can’t tell you how and what happens. All I can tell you is that we are investigating the incident,” she said.
The Police spokesperson however reiterated the command position to maintain a crime free State and warned all “evil marchants” to relocate from the State or be made to face the wrath of the law.