Banditry: Senator Odia escapes death on Okenne – Abuja highway

Tunde Opalana, Abuja

The senator representing Edo Central senatorial district, Clifford Ordia, on Monday, cheated death as his convoy was attacked twice by suspected bandits along Okenne-Lokoja and Lokoja-Abaji roads.

Recalling how he escaped death by the whiskers, Ordia told newsmen on Wednesday that the daredevil suspected bandits attack him twice by opening fire on his convoy while returning to Abuja from his hometown in Edo State.

Ordia who is the chairman, Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts
said during the exchange of fire between the criminals and security officers attached to him, three policemen sustained gun wounds. He said one of the wounded policemen is in a critical condition, but responding to treatment in one of the hospitals in Abuja.

He said his personal vehicle was riddled with bullets, though he was lucky to have escaped unhurt. “I’m seriously traumatized by the experience,” he said.

Narrating his ordeal, he said: “We were coming from Edo State, somewhere between Okenne and Lokoja, when we met these suspected bandits. They opened fire on my convoy. The gallant policemen had to immediately return fire.

“The other security vehicle behind had to immediately join them and they were able to repel the suspected bandits. During the exchange, three of the policemen sustained gun wounds. One of them was critically injured. We had to immediately rush them to a Federal Medical Centre in Lokoja, Kogi State.

“They did their best and was able to stabilize them. I had to immediately put a call across the Federal Medical Centre in Abuja to be on standby. One of the policemen had a bullet lodged close to his liver.

“We met another setback around Abaji. There was traffic because of the incident and because we had to save the lives of the wounded policemen, we decided to make a move. They opened fire on us. Some vigilantes had to join the policemen and they were chased into the bush.

“That was how I survived that attack. If you see all my vehicles, you’ll see how the bullets damaged them. But I’m glad that we all survived. I must salute the gallantry of our policemen. If given the right equipment, they can do a lot and protect Nigerians.”

He called on the Federal Government to immediately initiate moves to restructure the security architecture of the country, warning that no one is safe anymore.

He said something urgent must be done to restore order to every part of the country and protect the lives of every Nigerian.