It was indeed a lucky escape for a first class traditional ruler in the state, the Ohi of Adavi, H.R.H, Alhaji Muhammad Ireyi Bello, as he narrowly escaped unhurt when the vehicle in which he was traveling ran into an ambush laid by dare devil highway armed robbers.
The incident happened last Tuesday afternoon at Magajiya village, near Banda in Kogi state.
Speaking on his lucky escape, the Ohi of Adavi who was returning from the 3rd day firdau prayers held in Abuja for late Hon.Suleiman Kokori, the deceased member of the Revenue Mobilisation and physical commission, said that he and other occupants of his S.U.V car were ambushed, as the car slowed down to pass through a bad portion of the road when some heavily armed men in black attire suddenly jumped from the bush into the road and we’re firing at his car from various directions, adding that it took the shear courage of his driver to miraculously manoeuvre the car through the rain of bullets without any of the occupants sustaining injury but a minor damage to the car.
While thanking God for his narrow escape, the traditional ruler attributed the spike in banditry and armed robbery attacks on our highways to the recent scrapping of S.A.R.S by the Federal government without providing a substitute, saying “you don’t scrap a whole system because of little defects, especially where there is no immediate substitute”.
The Ohi who believes the nation has been unfair to the Nigerian police by the wholesale condemnation of the institution, appealed to the Federal government to put a substitute in place as quickly as possible and also take steps to rebuild the self confidence of the force.
While commending governor Yahaya Bello’s proactiveness in tackling security issues, the Ohi attributed the recent cases of banditry operations in the state to the non sedentary nature of the bandits.
He then appealed to the governor to apply the method used In checking armed robbery operations on Okene-Lokoja highway to Lokoja-Abaji road.
He also called on the Federal government to complement the efforts of Kogi state government in tackling insecurity on our highways, stressing that whatever is invested in security is never a waste.