A former permanent secretary in the Ebonyi State civil service, Boniface Mgebu was on Tuesday night attacked by hoodlums who injured him.

While he escaped death by whiskers, his car was set ablaze by the attackers and was watched to burn unto its skeleton.

Mgebu who currently serves as member of the Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC), was on his way from Abakaliki to his village in Ikwo Local Government Area when he was accosted by the brigands.

The incident occurred around 7 pm along the Obubura-Enyida road in Abakaliki Local Government Area.

The assailants, in a brazen move, set ablaze Mgebu’s Hilux Jeep, along with his cash, phones, and other valuables.

Speaking from his hospital bed at Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital (AE-FUNAI) in Abakaliki, Mgebu recounted the harrowing experience.

He explained that the attack was carried out by two armed men who had the intention to either steal his vehicle or abduct him.

Mgebu, narrating the incident,t said, “On my way from Abakaliki to my village, immediately I passed the junction before Polycarp Market in Izzi. I saw something like a mini roadblock. I slowed down towards the road. The next thing I saw was a young man who immediately and forcefully stepped into my driver’s side, struggling with the steering wheel with me.

“In the process, the second person opened the passenger door and entered with a gun, leaving me at the centre. I held the hand of the one who showed me the pistol. The other one was struggling to control the car’s steering and moving very fast to an unknown place.

“From the movement of the car, it was as if they noticed that some people had discovered that something was wrong. They now increased the speed of the car, and I was still struggling with the second person.

“The next thing I knew was that the car jumped into a ditch, and immediately, fire exploded. I don’t know if they ignited the fire or the car fuel ignited the fire. But how I survived and was brought to the hospital was a miracle.

“I have made entry at the Police Station in Abakaliki. Am also reaching out to my people, and calling on the State Governor to come to my aide in areas of my hospital bill and replacement of my car that was burnt to ashes with my vital properties inside the car that were also consumed by the fire.”

Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has described the immediate past Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, as a “fantastic father and political mentor” whose leadership laid the foundation for inclusive development and people-centered governance in the state.

Governor Ododo made this known on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ engagement at Idozumi, Bariki Ward in Okene Local Government Area, where he was warmly received by traditional rulers, political leaders, youth, and women groups.

The Governor, who used the opportunity to reinforce his administration’s commitment to sustaining the legacy of his predecessor, said he remains a proud student of Yahaya Bello’s political ideology rooted in service, equity, and collective progress.

“Let me reaffirm before you all that our leader and the former Governor, Yahaya Bello, is a fantastic father. We shall not deviate from the template of all-inclusive governance. Everything we are doing is focused on consolidating his achievements and improving the lives of our people,” he stated

Ismaili Isah, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, in a statement Wednesday which was sent to Nationwide Reports, said Ododo commended the former Governor for his sacrifices and for raising individuals from less privileged backgrounds to positions of influence, adding that many of his lieutenants are now helping to shape and transform their communities across the state for the better.

Governor Ododo urged the people of Kogi State to continue to support and pray for the former Governor and his family, while also commending the residents of Bariki ward for their unity, dedication, and consistent support for the administration.

He called on community stakeholders to close ranks, reconcile differences, and work together to advance development and peaceful co-existence across the ward and the entire state.

Speaking on behalf of political appointees from the area, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Grassroots Mobilization, Hon. Halidu Abdullahi, applauded Governor Ododo for his humane disposition to the people and inclusive style of leadership.

He assured that Bariki Ward would continue to support the Governor’s administration, adding that stakeholders in all four segments and 43 polling units in the ward are fully mobilized in support of his vision to transform Kogi State.

The federal government has condemned prominent economist and political activist, Prof. Pat Utomi, for inaugurating a shadow government composed of members from various opposition parties.

According to Utomi, the “Big Tent Coalition Shadow Government,” launched virtually on Monday evening, will function as a credible opposition force, highlighting the failures of the Bola Tinubu administration while offering ideas for better governance.

But in a swift reaction, the Federal Government kicked against the move, describing it as an aberration in a federal system of government.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said “At a time when our nation is set to celebrate 26 unbroken years of presidential democracy, the idea of a so-called “shadow government” is an aberration.

The Minister said further that- “Nigeria is not a parliamentary system where such a system is practised, and there is no provision for such in our statute books.

“While opposition politics is a central feature of democracy, it must be practised at all times within the bounds of propriety.

“This idea of a shadow government sadly does not pass that test. Our bicameral legislature amply features members of the opposition, and it should be the right place to contest meaningful ideas for nation-building.”

Utomi justified the move, arguing that policy missteps by the current Federal Government had worsened poverty, driven multinational companies out of the country, and intensified terrorism in Benue and Plateau states, alongside rising insecurity and corruption nationwide.

He expressed concern over what he described as the government’s resort to propaganda and the suppression of opposing views.

“The recent spate of defections to the All Progressives Congress provides further evidence that all is not well with democracy in Nigeria,” he said.

“The imperative is that if a genuine opposition does not courageously identify the performance failures of incumbents, offer options, and influence culture in a counter direction, it will be complicit in subverting the will of the people,” he said.