Thugs attack Shettima’s convoy

                                                  Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima

Suspected political thugs on Sunday attacked the convoy of the Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, in Maiduguri, the state capital.

The thugs were alleged to have been sponsored by the former governor of the state, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, who has been at daggers drawn with the incumbent governor. But Sheriff has denied this.

But the Chairman of the APC in the state, Ali Bukar Dalori, claimed that the attack was by some political thugs associated with Sheriff.

He alleged that during the unprovoked attack , about 10 vehicles in the convoy of Shettima were smashed.

Dalori, in an e-mail statement to our correspondent, said the attack took place at about 4.30pm on Sunday while Shettima and some of his aides were driving along the Sir. Kashim Ibrahim Way.

He said the governor was on a visit to different hospitals in the state capital, to “offer support to patients before his convoy was attacked while returning to the Government House located at the G.R.A.”

Dalori alleged that “The thugs came out from a campaign office belonging to Sheriff and soon after the governor’s official vehicle had passed, the thugs went after vehicles in the convoy, smashing their windscreens.

“Soon after he was informed about the attack, Shettima was said to have restrained his security aides from attacking the thugs in order not to heighten tension in the state and compromise ongoing counter insurgency operations.”

The party chairman added, “We live in Maiduguri, we are the people that stand to lose if peace is truncated. Our attackers live in Abuja, so they will not care if Maiduguri goes up in flames. The violence they are orchestrating is aimed at stopping the elections in Borno State but God will never allow evil to triumph over good.”