I Will Be Shocked If Attack Was Aimed At Me — Soludo

*Narrates How He Was Attacked

A former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Prof. Chukwuma
Soludo has narrated how he was attacked by gunmen at a political
gathering in Anambra state on Wednesday.

The Professor of econometrics, who is also an aspirant in the
November 6 governorship election in Anambra, was meeting with
youths at Isuofia community when the gunmen stormed the area and
opened fire.

Three police officers attached to Soludo were killed during the
attack

Speaking on Thursday during an interview on Channels TV Politics
Today monitored by Nairalaw, Soludo said he would not like
to conclude the attack was ‘politically motivated’.

Recalling the incident, he said: “We were having an interactive
town-hall meeting. We finished the diocesan crescent mass at about
2pm, and by 4:00pm, they scheduled an interactive town-hall meeting
with the Isuofia youths

“And by the way Isofia happens to be my hometown… I’m a village
boy; this is where I feel safest anywhere in the world. I walk the
streets, I jog on the streets, I take long walks, I mean I’m
everywhere as a village boy as it were.

Faulting the attack, he noted that it was not an “Anambra way”.
Soludo said that even though Anambrarians might vary ideologically
in politics, they are still brothers.

“The attack is not the Anambra way. I will be shocked that it
was aimed at me. I will not want to preempt until an investigation
is complete”.

He expressed shock that someone would come after him.

“With this interactive session with over a thousand youths
seated, and I was just making preliminary remarks to open up the
interactive session with other dignitaries from the community,
commissioners and members of the House of Assembly, former
commissioners, former members of the house, and several other
dignitaries were in attendance.

“And just as I was about to wrap up, and for them now to open up
comments, questions and answers, I heard gunshots. At first, I
thought maybe the policemen were shooting in the air and concurring
with the kind of exuberance in the hall itself…

“And until I began to hear people screaming, and all of that,
and everyone scampered for safety, but then when it was all over,
it took several minutes about 10 to 15 minutes of continuous gun
battle, going back and forth…stopping and starting again.

“By the time we all came back, we saw three dead bodies lying in
the pool of their blood – they were the three policemen… and like I
said earlier, may God grant their soul eternal rest… we’ll continue
to pray and support the families.

“And then, the commissioner was abducted. I understand that when
they ran and jumped the fence, some people grabbed and took him
away… our prayers are with him. We pray for his safe return.”

He said: “The DSS, police, army and civil defense were all in my
house… I was totally unhurt in anyway.”

When asked if the attack was politically motivated to abduct or
attack him, he said: “I think there are all kinds of theories as it
were, I do not want to prejudge or preempt the investigation that
is ongoing because I understand some persons have been apprehended
and also providing useful information.”

Soludo affirmed he is a friend to all the other contestants in
the state.

*Narrates How He Was Attacked

A former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Prof. Chukwuma
Soludo has narrated how he was attacked by gunmen at a political
gathering in Anambra state on Wednesday.

The Professor of econometrics, who is also an aspirant in the
November 6 governorship election in Anambra, was meeting with
youths at Isuofia community when the gunmen stormed the area and
opened fire.

Three police officers attached to Soludo were killed during the
attack

Speaking on Thursday during an interview on Channels TV Politics
Today monitored by Nairalaw, Soludo said he would not like
to conclude the attack was ‘politically motivated’.

Recalling the incident, he said: “We were having an interactive
town-hall meeting. We finished the diocesan crescent mass at about
2pm, and by 4:00pm, they scheduled an interactive town-hall meeting
with the Isuofia youths

“And by the way Isofia happens to be my hometown… I’m a village
boy; this is where I feel safest anywhere in the world. I walk the
streets, I jog on the streets, I take long walks, I mean I’m
everywhere as a village boy as it were.

Faulting the attack, he noted that it was not an “Anambra way”.
Soludo said that even though Anambrarians might vary ideologically
in politics, they are still brothers.

“The attack is not the Anambra way. I will be shocked that it
was aimed at me. I will not want to preempt until an investigation
is complete”.

He expressed shock that someone would come after him.

“With this interactive session with over a thousand youths
seated, and I was just making preliminary remarks to open up the
interactive session with other dignitaries from the community,
commissioners and members of the House of Assembly, former
commissioners, former members of the house, and several other
dignitaries were in attendance.

“And just as I was about to wrap up, and for them now to open up
comments, questions and answers, I heard gunshots. At first, I
thought maybe the policemen were shooting in the air and concurring
with the kind of exuberance in the hall itself…

“And until I began to hear people screaming, and all of that,
and everyone scampered for safety, but then when it was all over,
it took several minutes about 10 to 15 minutes of continuous gun
battle, going back and forth…stopping and starting again.

“By the time we all came back, we saw three dead bodies lying in
the pool of their blood – they were the three policemen… and like I
said earlier, may God grant their soul eternal rest… we’ll continue
to pray and support the families.

“And then, the commissioner was abducted. I understand that when
they ran and jumped the fence, some people grabbed and took him
away… our prayers are with him. We pray for his safe return.”

He said: “The DSS, police, army and civil defense were all in my
house… I was totally unhurt in anyway.”

When asked if the attack was politically motivated to abduct or
attack him, he said: “I think there are all kinds of theories as it
were, I do not want to prejudge or preempt the investigation that
is ongoing because I understand some persons have been apprehended
and also providing useful information.”

Soludo affirmed he is a friend to all the other contestants in
the state.