Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has narrated how gunmen attacked him and his security details.
Soludo, who described the killing of three of his police orderlies as senseless, prayed for the repose of their souls.
Soludo was on Wednesday attacked in his hometown in Isuofia in the Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The former CBN governor is a leading governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), in the November 6 governorship poll in the state.
Speaking last night on the incident on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today,’ Soludo said, “we were having an interactive session and we finished the mass about 4pm and the scheduled interactive meeting with the Isuofia youths. By the way, Isuofia happened to be my hometown. I’m a village boy and this is where I feel safest anywhere in the world. I walk the street, I jog in my community, I take long walk, I am everywhere as a village boy.
“With this interactive session, there were over a thousand youths seated and I was just making preliminary remarks to open up the interactive session with other dignitaries from the communities, commissioners and members of the house of assembly. And just as I was about to wrap up and I said, ‘Finally!’ for them to open up for comments and answers, gunshots! At first, I thought may be the policemen were shooting in the air with the kind of exuberance in the hall until I began to hear people screaming and we all scampered for safety.
“It took more than 10, 15 minutes of continuous gun battle. By the time we all came back, we saw three bodies there lying in the pool of their blood – they were the three policemen. May God grant their souls eternal rest. We will continue to pray and support the family.”
“I was totally unhurt, not in anyway hurt,” he narrated.
When asked whether the attack was linked with his governorship ambition, he said, “I am friend with everybody contesting the office. I don’t think the office is worth the blood of even a chicken let alone a human being. I will be shocked that it was politically-motivated and that it was aimed directly at me.”
He expressed worry over the kidnap of the state Commissioner for Public Utilities, Mr. Emeka Ezenwanne, during the
attack.
