Gov Shettima Escapes Mob Attack In Maiduguri

Borno State governor Kashim Shettima yesterday escaped a mob attack as youths suspected to be political thugs in Maiduguri, the state capital, attacked his convoy and destroyed several vehicles.

Eyewitnesses said Shettima, who was driving around the town, came under attack at about 4pm when he was returning to the Government House, Maiduguri.

An eyewitness, Sabo Samaila, said, “The governor’s convoy came under heavy attack near UTC, the campaign office of the PDP that was attacked and burnt down during the APC presidential rally last week’s Monday.

“When the governor was passing by, most of us rushed to the road side expecting that he might throw some money for us only for us to see that the boys in front of UTC suddenly began to run towards the main road of Kashim Ibrahim Way throwing stones and using clubs to smash vehicles in the convoy.”

A statement by the spokesman to Governor Shettima, Malam Isa Gusau, accused former Governor Ali Modu Sheriff of allegedly sponsoring the attack on Shettima’s convoy.

The statement reads in part, “The thugs came out from a campaign office belonging to Modu Sheriff called UTC and soon after the governor’s official vehicle had passed, the thugs went after vehicles in the convoy, smashing wheel screens. Soon after he was informed while the attack was happening, Shettima ordered his security details to restrain their men from using firearms or any form of assault in order not to heighten tension in the state and compromise ongoing counter insurgency operations”.

But the Media Director of the PDP governorship candidate, who is also a media associate to Modu Sheriff, Mr. Inuwa Bwala, has denied Gusau’s allegation.

He claimed that those who attacked Shettima might be some of the APC political thugs that were being owed money by the state government for the contract it gave them to attack PDP offices during the visit of Gen Muhammadu Buhari. (Leadership)