How I escaped assassination, by Buhari’s aide

President Muhammadu Buhari’s Special Assistant on House of Representatives Matter, Abdurrahaman Kawu Sumaila, yesterday said he escaped assassination by a whisker. According to him, two people have been arrested in connection with the assassination attempt. Sumaila, who is contesting the Senate seat from Kano South Senatorial District, told journalists in Kano that while he was addressing over 3,000 of his supporters at Sumaila Ward of Sumaila Local Government Area yesterday, he saw some suspicious movements and alerted the police.

He said: “I entered Sumaila town about noon and I was asked by my party elders to address about 3,000 of my party supporters. As I was doing so, I saw some armed persons coming towards me with speed. I then called on the Divisional Police Officer, who swung into action and arrested them.

“On the spot, two were arrested. During interrogation, they confessed that they were hired. Dangerous weapons were recovered from them.” Sumaila said one of the two people arrested by the police asked him questions about campaign materials and officials. He said: “I attempted to give him an answer. But immediately I finished, I saw some armed thugs, eight in number, approach me; I became suspicious and alerted the police.”

Sumaila said all the aspirants agreed to go for direct primary. According to him, because of the agreement, several peace meetings were held. The aspirant said despite the peace meetings, he had been facing serious danger from certain quarters, which prompted him to report to the police. Sumaila regretted that with his position as Special Assistant to the President and a contestant, he ought to have been provided with some policemen but none was attached to him. He said already he had reported the matter to the Police Commissioner, Rabiu Yusuf. However, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Magaji Musa Majiya, said he was yet to receive reports on the matter because of distance of the local government from Kano metropolis.