Tension gripped parts of Rivers State on Friday after armed men suspected to be political thugs attacked the convoy of former governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi shortly after suspected arsonists burned down a ward office of the African Democratic Congress in his hometown.
The incident occurred between Ubima and Omuanwa in Ikwerre Local Government Area as Amaechi travelled to his community to complete his electronic registration as a member of the party.
Sources said the attackers, heavily armed and believed to be hired thugs, had earlier mounted a roadblock before the former minister’s arrival around 12:15 p.m., turning back buses suspected to be carrying ADC supporters to the event.
The tension had already escalated the previous night when the ADC ward office in Ubima, Amaechi’s country home, was set ablaze by unknown assailants.
Witnesses said the attackers stormed the community with heavy gunfire, shooting sporadically and riddling the gate of Amaechi’s family house with bullets in what appeared to be a calculated attempt to disrupt the politician’s visit.
Trouble erupted when Amaechi’s convoy attempted to enter the community. The armed men reportedly blocked the road and confronted the convoy, triggering a brief but intense gun duel with security operatives attached to the former governor.
However, the security personnel quickly gained the upper hand.
Faced with superior firepower, the attackers fled into nearby bushes, allowing Amaechi and his entourage to proceed safely.
Speaking afterward to hundreds of party supporters who gathered for the e-registration exercise, Amaechi urged calm and warned against retaliation.
“I will thank the commissioner of police and the director of DSS. They showed a lot of professionalism immediately I made contact with them,” he said.
“In fact, I wasn’t expecting that kind of cooperation. I thought they would be behind these criminals and not render support. But all of us will agree that the police came out, the NSCDC came out, and the DSS came out. So we are grateful to them.”
Amaechi, who inspected the burnt party office after the attack, insisted that the security agencies must go further by arresting and prosecuting those responsible.
“But they must also know that this cannot continue. The way they will show us that this cannot continue is that they must prosecute those who are involved in this crime,” he said.
The former governor also called on the government of Rivers State to strengthen security across the state to prevent a breakdown of law and order.
“I have been a governor, and I know the consequences of not protecting the lives of people,” he warned.
“The people will begin to protect their lives by themselves because they don’t want to die.”
Despite the violence, Amaechi urged members of the ADC to remain peaceful and focus on political mobilisation ahead of future elections.
“Our role is to be calm, to be peaceful. We are marching to Aso Rock. What they are doing is a distraction,” he said.
“We are hungry. If you are not hungry, tell them I am hungry. People are dropping dead every day because of hunger. There are a few people who are stealing our money and they say we should keep quiet. We can no longer keep quiet.”
He urged party members in Rivers State to register en masse, saying the party must build a strong base capable of surprising its opponents at the polls.
“ADC Rivers State, you must register en masse. On election day, they will know whether we will vote or not,” he declared.
