Senator Clifford Ordia on Wednesday lamented that no one is safe anymore in Nigeria after surviving two bandits’ attack within hours along the Okene-Abuja highway.
The Senator representing Edo Central was on Monday first attacked along Okene-Lokoja road in Kogi State. The second attack was in Abaji, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory.
Terrified, Senator Ordia, who chairs the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, called for an overhaul of Nigeria’s security architecture.
He told journalists that the bandits opened fire on his convoy while returning to Abuja from his hometown in Edo State.
Explaining that the security officers attached to him engaged the bandits in crossfire, the Senator said he escaped the attack unhurt though his personal vehicle was riddled with bullets.
He lamented that three of the security officers attached to him sustained gunshot injuries, with one of the wounded policemen in a critical condition, but responding to treatment at a hospital in Abuja.
According to him, “We were coming from Edo State, somewhere between Okene 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 stabilise 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 incidence 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.”
This story first appeared in Daily Trust, https://dailytrust.com/none-is-safe-anymore-says-sen-ordia-after-surviving-2-attacks-in-24-hours