Posted by By Francis Awowole-Browne, Abuja on
National Secretary of the Alliance for Democracy and gubernatorial aspirant in Taraba State, Senator Uti Joshua Yohanna was at the weekend attacked by a six-man gang of gunmen, who invaded his residence at Gwarimpa Estate, Abuja, riddling his house with bullets.
National Secretary of the Alliance for Democracy and gubernatorial aspirant in Taraba State, Senator Uti Joshua Yohanna was at the weekend attacked by a six-man gang of gunmen, who invaded his residence at Gwarimpa Estate, Abuja, riddling his house with bullets.
While the politician escaped unhurt, his friend, a branch manager with Unity Bank, who came visiting, was not so lucky, as he was thoroughly beaten and wounded by the hoodlums who initially mistook him for the aspirant, but later dumped him when they discovered that he was not the person they wanted.
Policemen from Gwarimpa Divisional Police Station recovered several live bullets from the scene, moments after the gunmen who operated for over 30 minutes, disappeared into thin air.
Narrating his ordeal to Daily Sun, the party scribe who was visibly shaken, explained that he never expected such attack, wondering whom he offended that would wish him such harm as to send gunmen after him.
Thanking God for his life, he related that the attackers made away with an undisclosed sum of money, jewelries and 17 different GSM handsets.
Relating the incident, the AD stalwart stated that he was in his house on Sunday with friends who had come to pay him a visit, when at about 3.30pm, some youngsters, armed with guns and other dangerous weapons stormed his residence.
'I was in pyjamas, so they didn't know I was the person they were looking for. They asked where is the aspirant? By this time, every one has laid on the floor, so they thought my bank manager's friend who was in well-starched Babanriga was the one. So they pounced on him.
All the while, the lucky survivor said he was busy praying for God's intervention, which ultimately manifested when suddenly, the gunmen rushed downstairs and vamoosed into thin air.
Continuing his narration, he said, 'They started shooting sporadically. Later they took all of us upstairs and locked us in a room. When some of them came downstairs, they saw my campaign posters there and discovered I was the gubernatorial aspirant. They queried why I didn't tell them all the while. They ransacked the whole house and made away with what they could lay their hands upon."
Senator Yohanna lamented the kind of democracy being run in the country in which attempts are being made to intimidate and silence opposition, vowing that he would not deterred in his quest to rule Taraba State.
The Police at Gwarimpa Estate confirmed the incident and said they were investigating it with a view to bringing the culprit to book.