Governor Yahaha Bello has ordered the arrest of six persons believed to be political thugs, who reportedly attacked the member representing Kogi East Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Senator Jibrin Isah Echocho at the Government House in Lokoja on Tuesday.

The senator elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, was said to have been assaulted by the thugs loyal to the state government in the presence of other National Assembly members he came with to congratulate the outgoing governor for the success of the party in the last governorship election.

He was reportedly singled out for the embarrassing attack for failing to adhere to Governor Bello’s directive that all APC chieftains should ensure the victory of the party in their immediate constituencies during the gubernatorial poll.  Echocho, as learnt, was unable to deliver his senatorial district to the APC, as his people (the Igalas) voted massively for the Social Democratic Party, SDP governorship candidate, Alhaji Murtala Ajaka.

Echocho, who was with Senator Sunday Karimi and other members of House of Representatives from the state, was in the Government House when the thugs surprisingly approached him and began to rain verbal abuses accusing him of betraying Governor Bello.

But for the intervention of some of his colleagues on the visit, the senator would have been harmed even as security operatives attached to the Government House allegedly looked the other way when the thugs descended on the lawmaker.

The news of the attack on the senator, who had once demonstrated his absolute loyalty to Bello by kneeling before him in a viral video, attracted angry reactions among members of the APC and the public Tuesday night. They described the report as another round of humiliation for the senator, demanding an urgent investigation to bring the culprits to book.

However, in an official reaction to the embarrassing incident, Governor Bello, on Wednesday, ordered the arrest of six persons said to be responsible for harassing “some National Assembly members” during the courtesy visit to the Governor’s office.

The  Advocate learnt that the governor consequently banned unauthorized persons from accessing the Government House and ordered immediate prosecution of the culprits.

Shortly after the fruitful discussion with the visiting National Assembly members, the governor  said he received with rude shock the news of the harassment of some of the lawmakers on their way out of the government house and swiftly ordered the arrest of the culprits.

He charged security agencies to investigate the issue thoroughly to ensure the offenders face the full wrath of the law.

Bello’s directive to the heads of security agencies reads: “Information just got to me as I left the office to the residence that one man called Suleiman and others embarrassed Sen Jubrin Echocho in Government House. I’ve directed CSO to arrest all those involved in such stupid act and bring them to justice immediately. I will NEVER condone act of hooliganism and indiscipline.
Thank you sir”.

The federal lawmakers who visited the governor at the Government House on Tuesday were Senator Jibrin Isah Echocho of Kogi East, Senator Sunday Karimi of Kogi West, Rt Hon Abdullahi Ibrahim Halims of Ankpa Federal Constituency, Hon Zachariah Idris of Idah Federal Constituency, Hon Sani Abdulrahim Egidi of Ajaokuta Federal Constituency, Hon Abdulrahim Danga (PDP) of Okehi/Adavi Federal, Hon Gowon Haruna of Dekina/Bassa Federal Constituency, Hon Tijani Ozigi of Okene/Ogori Federal Constituency, Hon Danladi Aguye of Lokoja/Koto Federal Constituency and Hon Salman Idris (ADV) of Kabba/Ijumu.

The senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was not in attendance.

How thugs attacked me in Kogi Govt House — Sen Echocho

Meanwhile, the senator representing Kogi East in the National Assembly, Isah Echocho narrated how thugs attacked him inside the Government House, Lokoja, Kogi State.

The lawmaker, in a telephone interview with Daily Trust, said the incident happened on Tuesday immediately after a meeting with the governor.

Echocho said himself, Senator Sunday Karimi (Kogi West) and other All Progressives Congress federal lawmakers from the state had gone to pay homage to the governor after the festive season.

He said the thugs singled him out of other legislators and pounced on him, accusing him of being responsible for APC’s poor performance in the last governorship election in Kogi East senatorial district.

Though APC’s Usman Ododo won the election with 446, 237 votes, his main challenger, Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party, who came second, won the majority of his 259,052 votes in Kogi East Senatorial District.

Both Ajaka and Echocho are from Kogi East Senatorial District.

Echocho said the attackers berated him for not working for the success of APC in Kogi East during the poll.

The lawmaker, however, said he did not suffer any injury as the police officers present provided him security and he had since returned to Abuja safely.

Narrating how the incident happened, the senator said, “I was attacked by thugs in Government House Lokoja but the police rescued me.

“What happened was that all APC senators and the House of Representatives members from the state visited the governor on a courtesy call for the New Year.

“Being one of them, I was not left out. We went up and we had some brief meeting with the governor, though he expressed dissatisfaction over APC performance in Kogi East (my senatorial district) in the last governorship election.

“I told the governor that I tried all I could to convince my people to vote for the APC. I campaigned vigorously for APC in Kogi East but the people were resolute in voting for another candidate despite my efforts.

“It is not as if APC performed woefully in the election in Kogi East. There were pockets of LGs and wards that we won. There was no other thing I could have done beyond what I did. We exchanged pleasantries with the governor, took a group photograph and left.

“As we were coming out, in front of the governor’s office, the thugs pounced on me, that I was responsible for APC’s failure in Kogi East.

“To my surprise, they brought out knives and other dangerous weapons to attack me but police officers around were able to rescue me inside my vehicle and we zoomed off. I thank God I didn’t suffer any injury. The police were able to provide sufficient security.”

When asked if the governor was aware of the attack, he said: “The governor cannot descend so low and send thugs to attack me.

“The governor spoke with me after the attack, and he assured me that the thugs would be arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law, but I told him not to worry since I’m safe.”

When contacted for comment, the Kogi State Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo did not respond to a message sent to him and did not answer several calls to him.