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How I Drove Onaiyekan To Safety From 3 Gun Men Shooting At Our Car, Driver Recounts

Bishop OnaiyekanThe driver to the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, who simply identified himself as Segun had narrated how he drove the Archbishop to safety away from three men who emerged from a bush sround Edo state and started shooting gun at their car.
The driver said that the attack happened last Friday along the Benin-Ekpoma road close to Ehor at about 5.00pm.
According to him: “We left Benin for Uromi and at about 5.00pm on the fateful day, I think very close to Ehor, I saw a big pothole and decided to slow down the vehicle. I would have passed the spot with speed but because the cardinal was sleeping, I decided to slow down the vehicle so that he won’t wake up, suddenly, I saw three men came out of the palm tree plantation by the road side and started shooting at the vehicle. I look ahead of me, two of them were firing from a distance at the vehicle and I looked behind me another one was firing at the vehicle from behind so I decided to use reverse gear. The other vehicles who saw me coming with reverse started clearing off the road and when I got to a safe distance I decided to stop the vehicle and people started running to see what had happened. It was then we realised that the bullets shattered the left passenger window glass and made huge holes on the panel of the door. We just thank God nothing happened to the cardinal or any of us in the vehicle.”
Against the backdrop of the attacks, the Catholic Archbishop of Benin City, Dr. Augustin Akubueze and the Catholic Bishop of Uromi Diocese, Dr. Donatus Ogun have both appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to tackle the growing attacks of prominent people in Nigeria by hoodlums in Edo State.
The Bishops gave thanks to God that Cardinal Onaiyekan survived the attacks of some criminals elements last week on the Benin-Ekpoma road, adding: “If something had happened to him, what would have been the story? We thank God nothing happened and we are using this opportunity to appeal to Mr. President to provide adequate security for the citizens of Edo state,” Akubueze said, in an interview in Benin City.”
The catholic archbishops stressed that the responsibility of a government is to secure her people stressing:  “what we are asking for is not too much for our president. If there is no security of lives and property, no investments or meaningful economic development can take place in the state and the nation at large. We need security and we are demanding that from our government”.
Akubueze noted that the spate of attacks by so-called herdsmen across the country is becoming frightening, adding that there is an urgent need by the state and federal government to deal with the issue of security to protect lives and property of Nigerians “with all seriousness.
Also, Cardinal Onaiyekan’s attack Bishop Ogun said “What would have happened if the Cardinal was killed? It would have been sorry and pains for us, considering that he was coming to attend the 10th anniversary of the creation of Uromi Diocese. We thank God he came out unhurt.
While appealing strongly to President Buhari to help secure the state, the bishop added: “we need adequate security to protect the lives and property of the residents of the state. We cannot continue to live in fear in our own land because of the activities of these criminals.” [myad]

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