Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has recounted how he narrowly escaped an alleged assassination attempt in Maitama, Abuja, while pursuing his ambition to become governor of the state.
Otti said about 12 armed men arrived at a location in July 2015 with the intention of killing him, but their plan failed because he had left the premises shortly before their arrival.
The governor disclosed this on Thursday in Umuahia during a solemn assembly and covenant renewal service organised by the Abia State Government to rededicate the state to God.
According to Otti, the attackers believed he was still inside the building and opened fire, shooting two people before searching the premises for him.
“They shot two persons. They were looking for me, but God had taken me away,” Otti recalled.
He added that the attackers, numbering about 12, later moved into an adjoining compound and reportedly stripped the place after failing to find him.
“They finished; they couldn’t find me. They were about 12. They jumped into the next compound and stripped the whole place. They thought I was there, but I had left,” he said.
Otti expressed gratitude to God for preserving his life, saying the incident remained a reminder of what he described as divine protection.
The governor said the solemn assembly was convened to rededicate Abia State to God and reaffirm the government’s commitment to keeping the state away from what he described as fetish practices and evil societies.
Earlier, the Coordinator of the Solemn Assembly and Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Uzor Nwachukwu, said Abia had been in “captivity” for many years before Otti emerged as governor.
Nwachukwu said the alleged past challenges facing the state informed the decision to organise the covenant renewal and rededication service.