BEVERLY HILLS, CA, NOVEMBER 02, (THEWILL) – The Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Victor Ochei, yesterday at Obomkpa in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State, emerged unhurt from an assassination attempt, when one of two locally made canon 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 the town (Obomkpa).
Hon 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.
According to a source at the scene, Hon Ochei had not taken his seat immediately on arrival, as he was busy exchanging greetings when the canon which was ignited and propelled from the rear on trajectory to the Speaker’s seat on the front row, was however inhibited y the set of chairs which even though were shattered provided some cushioning effect.
It was also gathered that the projectile were wrapped in white satin materials, which made early detection impossible, as the chairs and tables were also decorated in white materials.
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 subsequently transferred to the Delta State University Teaching Hospital Oghara for further medical attention, is said to be in a stable condition just as doctors are battling to avert amputation.
Unfolding facts reveal that a prominent female politician of Obomkpa extraction had the previous night (Thursday), dispatched emissaries with financial inducements to the indigenes, urging them to shun the proposed parley with Hon Ochei, a move discreetly connected with the rising political profile of the numero uno legislator.
However, a suspect John Oyibo Achuzia Ijei, an indigene of neighbouring Ugboba town who is believed to be a blood relation to the female politician, is already helping the security operatives in unravelling the 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 the divinely designated messiah and an avowed advocate of progressive representation.
