Wife of River State Governor Chibuike Amaechi narrowly escaped death yesterday from a police patrol team escorting expatriate oil workers.
An eyewitness told LEADERSHIP Tuesday? that the governor’s wife was heading to an official event when the escort, who attempted to overtake her convoy at the Elekahia axis of Port Harcourt, the state capital, crashed into her car.
A senior undercover Police Inspector who saw what happened said the incident would have turned bloody if the soldiers who were part of Mrs. Amaechi’s convoy had opened fire on the perceived threat to the life of the governor’s wife.
Operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) who were on Mrs. Amaechi’s convoy challenged the Police Corporal who was said to be leading the expatriate oil workers’ escort. But the Corporal, who was said to have showed no sign of remorse, allegedly queried the SSS operatives: “Is Amaechi’s wife bigger than Babangida? Nobody is above the law.’’
The obviously angry Governor Amaechi was quoted by some senior police officers in Port Harcourt as viewing the incident as an assassination attempt on his wife.
The police in the state are said to be battling to conceal the incident.
Spokesman for the police, Mr. Ben Ugwuebulem, a Deputy Superintent of Police (DSP), told this newspaper on telephone yesterday he was not aware of the matter.
The incident however, involved men of the Swift Operation Squad (SOS), a special security outfit responsible for the internal security challenges of the state.
The bulk of the logistics support for the squad comes from the Rivers State Government.
In the meantime, Mrs. Amaechi, who cancelled Tuesday’s engagement, has embarked on a four-day Christmas felicitation visits to the 23 council areas to present gift and food items to the less-privileged and women in the state.