By Chika Otuchikere
Senator Ahmed Ogembe, representing Kogi Central Senatorial district under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday, narrowly escaped death when heavily armed thugs invaded the venue of his empowerment programme, organised for women in Okene, Kogi state.
Eye-witness account said that the venue of the event, Afims Hotel, was already filled up by guests, party faithful and the selected beneficiaries of the empowerment programme when the hoodlums stormed the place, brandishing dangerous weapons, attacking people and disrupting the seating arrangement for the event.
Pandemonium was said to have broken out as the few security operatives at the hotel were said to have scampered for safety as the thugs unleashed mayhem in the venue.
According to the eye-witness, the thugs who were armed with dangerous weapons, frantically searched for the senator who at that time, was said to be a few meters away from the hotel. The thugs, disappointed, later fled the hotel making their exit in different directions to escape arrest.
A number of guests, beneficiaries of the empowerment programme and some political associates of Ogembe were said to have received various degrees of injuries during the attack. Senator Ogembe later showed up at the venue and immediately ordered that the injured be taken to hospital for treatment.
Ogembe who addressed journalists, said that the incident had been reported to the police. However, the police could not comment on the incident despite attempts made to reach the state police commanda��s spokesman, ASP William Aya.
Attempt to get a hint on the grouse of the thugs were unsuccessful as nobody could put a finger on why they struck.
The 1200 women drawn from five local governments of Adavi, Okene, Okehi, Ajaokuta and Ogori -Magongo, making up the senatorial district were selected to benefit from the programme. Each of them was given N20,000 to start a business.
Armed thugs invade Sen Ogembea��s empowerment event
