Mar. 8, 2014
No fewer than 50 armed men attacked the Enugu State Government House in the early hours of Saturday, the Chief Security Officer to the Governor, Fidelis Ogarabe, has said.
Mr. Ogarabe told journalists on Saturday in Enugu that the armed men struck at the Government House around 4.30 a.m. and attempted to force their way into the premises.
He said one person was killed while three others were injured.
Mr. Ogarabe said, “I left the Government House at about 2.a.m . in the morning and was in my house when I received a call from my men around 4 a.m. alerting me of the presence of some armed invaders at the Government House.
“I drove to the place immediately and saw some persons numbering about 50 armed with machetes at the gate, trying to force their way into the premises.
“I ordered my men to move into action immediately and one of them was gunned down while three others were arrested.
“The others threw away their machetes and escaped,” he said.
He said his men recovered machetes, flags and insignia linked to a cult group.
Mr. Ogarabe said a member of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps suffered machete cuts while a military patrol vehicle was also attacked in the bid by the assailants to force their way into the Government House.
He said that those arrested were handed over to the nearby New Haven Police Station.
A resident, who lives close to the Government House, said he heard about 50 gunshots in the vicinity around 4.30 a.m.
The resident, who pleaded anonymity, also said he sighted some youths shouting and running on Nza street, in the Independence Layout area of the city.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that Governor Sullivan Chime was in his country home at Udi when the armed men struck.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Chukwudi Achife, confirmed the report while the Police Public Relations Officer, Ebere Amaraizu, could not be reached as his cell phone was switched off.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Adamu Abubakar, had already visited the Government House, it was learnt.
