'Soldiers attacked my mother's home, not kidnappers,' Governor says

dimeji akinloye

June 4, 2016 5:38 PM

The Governor said the soldiers behind the incident would be fished out and sanctioned.

Governor,

The Governor said the soldiers behind the incident will be fished out and sanctioned.

Heavily armed gunmen reportedly invaded the Lagos residence of the Governor's mother, Mrs. Christianah Ambode, at 24 Oguntona Crescent, Gbagada Estate I at around 7.30pm on Friday.

The attackers were said to have disarmed Mrs Ambode's police detail in what neighbours described as an attempt to kidnap the Governor's mother.

But according to Ambode's Chief Press Secretary, Habib Haruna, the incident occurred between the security detail of the Governor's mother and “unruly” military personnel attached to Operation Mesa, a military patrol team in the state.

“We would like to put on record that the disturbance was not a kidnap attempt on the Governor’s mother as nothing untoward happened to her,” Haruna said.

“What really transpired was that a man parked his vehicle in front of the residence of the Governor’s mother and the security detail attached to the building asked him not to park there so as not to block the entrance.”

The statement explained that the unidentified driver who triggered the violence was a military man in mufti.

“The man who claimed to be a military personnel was not in uniform as at the time of the unfortunate incident but he insisted on parking in front of the building on the ground that he was a military personnel.

“He then went on to invite military personnel attached to Operation MESA to beat Mrs. Ambode’s police details after he was advised not to park his vehicle outside the building,” the statement said.

It was gathered that the attackers fled as a police reinforcement arrived the scene, and are yet to be unmasked.

“At the moment, officials of the State Government are taking appropriate steps to sanction the unruly military personnel who joined their colleague to disturb public peace,” the statement added.

READ: ‘I will work tirelessly to deliver good governance,’ Ambode promises Lagosians

When Premium Times contacted the spokesperson for the Nigerian Army’s 81st Division in Lagos State, Kingsley Samuel, he said he was unaware of the incident.

dimeji akinloye