Delta Speaker Escapes Assassination - GUARDIAN

Published: Saturday, 02 November 2013 

Written by EDITOR

THE Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Mr. Victor Ochei, yesterday emerged unhurt from an assassination attempt.
  However, one of two locally made cannon contraptions, a lethal Improvised Explosive Device (I.E.D.), exploded and critically injured a female aide to one of the Speaker’s associates, who is an indigene of Obomkpa in Aniocha North local government of the state where the incident occurred.
  The victim, whose left ankle was fragmented as a result of the explosion, was immediately rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, by the Speaker’s pilot vehicle.
  But she was subsequently transferred to the Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara for further medical attention, and she is said to be in a stable condition even as doctors are battling to avert amputation.
  According to eyewitness account, Ochei, who was on a routine familiarisation and thank-you tour of his Aniocha North constituency, had barely finished exchanging pleasantries with political faithful at the Eke Market square venue, when a loud explosion and its attendant smoke threw the crowd into pandemonium.
  The source said Ochei had not taken his seat on arrival, as he was busy exchanging greetings, when the cannon, ostensibly ignited and propelled from the rear on trajectory to the Speaker’s seat on the front row, exploded.
  Its direct impact on its proposed target (Ochei) was inhibited by the set of chairs, which provided some cushioning effect. The chairs were, however, shattered by the explosion.
  It was also gathered that the projectiles were wrapped in white satin materials, which made early detection impossible, as the chairs and tables were also decorated in white materials.
  The police have arrested a suspect (name withheld), an indigene of neighbouring Ugboba town, who is already helping the security operatives to unravel details of the act.
  Nonetheless, the blast had no effect on the occasion, as the indigenes trooped out en masse to welcome the Speaker, whom they described as an avowed advocate of progressive representation.