Tinubus’ Supporters Narrowly Escaped Bandits’ Ambush in Niger

By Laleye Dipo in Minna

Scores of of people  among them supporters of the  All Progressives Congress APC  Presidential Candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu  in Kontagora town of Niger state on Tuesday narrowly escape death when they ran into an ambush by armed men in Mariga town in the Mariga local government area of the state.

The supporters  who were traveling in buses and cars were billed to attend the meeting of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Solidarity Vanguard in Minna where the outcome of the  last Presidential primary election which their principal won was to be appraised.

It was learnt that at a stage during their journey the campaigners and other travelers  started hearing sporadic gun shots making them to stop abruptly.

The first batch of the campaigners escaped to the other side before the sporadic shooting started while the second group made a detour and returned to Kontagora.

THISDAY learnt that the entire community was sacked by the gunmen, making the villagers to take refuge in the bush and on the hill top.

A similar incident happened along the same axis last month when three delegates that were to attend the People’s Democratic Party governorship primary election were waylaid and killed by gunmen.

The Chairman of BATS in the state Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Katcha confirmed the incident when he told the meeting of the Vanguard  that the people from Kontagora phoned that they could no longer make the meeting because they got to a point in Mariga where they ran into bandits.

“They got to a point in their journey where bandits took over the road, Alhaji Ubandaya and his people had to escape back to Kontagora” he said  adding that “no less than 100 vehicles are reported to be involved in the confusion.

“We  thank God that some of them escaped to Minna and are here with us”, Katcha said adding that “the military is now chasing the bandits”.

He told other members of the Vanguard that the meeting was called to appraise the outcome of the Presidential primary election “which our principal won, we thank God that we are part of this victory”.

The group, Katcha said, will lead a high powered team to congratulate  Tinubu in addition to setting up committees to carry the Tinubu Presidency project to all the nooks and crannies of the state.

“We are sure Senator Tinubu will win the election with a landslide but we should not be complacent,” Katcha declared.