Posted by From Kenny Ashaka, Kaduna on
One of the main opponents of Mrs Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello in the Ogun Central Senatorial contest, Dr Lanre Tejuoso narrowly escaped death yesterday as gunmen suspected to be hired killers attacked him inside a hotel in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
One of the main opponents of Mrs Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello in the Ogun Central Senatorial contest, Dr Lanre Tejuoso narrowly escaped death yesterday as gunmen suspected to be hired killers attacked him inside a hotel in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
Obasanjo-Bello, the President's daughter is the flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming Ogun Central senatorial race.
Tejuoso, candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and first child of Osile of Oke-Ona, Egba, Oba Adedapo Tejuoso said he escaped death by the whiskers and is now recuperating at a private hospital following gun wounds he susstained on the head.
.The politician narrated his ordeal to journalists yesterday, attributing his miraculous escape to divine hands. 'It was Holy Spirit that saved me," a visibly shaken Tejuoso said.
He narrated his terrible experience thus: 'I was in my room sleeping in the hotel on the second floor. And I heard some knocks on the door and a lady asked me if I needed room service around 2 am.
'I was surprised to see her because I did not ask for any room service. I looked out of the window and I saw downstairs, a car parked and two gunmen. And the gate wide opened. I did not open the door. I ignored the knocks.
'When I refused to open the door, the killers kicked the door, opened it by force and five gun men came in. They said in Yoruba; 'Tejuoso, … Won ni ki a wa pa e ni o. which literarily means Tejuoso, …They said we should kill you."
The ANPP senatorial candidate who is contesting with Dr. (Mrs.) Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said he was speechless.
'Minutes after, the gunmen took all the money I had in my bag and everything in my pocket. I told them that I had more money in the car down stairs; they said they did not want more money. According to them, the purpose of their coming was to kill me. They ordered me to lie down on the bed, but I refused to obey them. Five of them came upstairs, two were down stairs, but I did not struggle with them, They were just holding me."
Fortunately I noticed that the door of my room was still wide open. I thought as a last result, I should just run out and alert other guests of the hotel.
'So I ran out of the room and started shouting, banging the doors of the guest rooms and running zig-zag. As I got to the stair case, I just heard a big bang on my head and immediately I fell down on the stair case. I started bleeding profusely. I fainted in my pool of blood. They thought I was dead and they bolted away.
On whether the attempt on his life was politically motivated, Tejoso, said ‘yes'.