Robbers attack Niger gov’s security chief

Dipo Laleye Minna - 17.01.2008

Senior Special Assistant to the Niger State governor on Security Matters, Brigadier General Abdallah Ahmad (rtd), on Monday night narrowly escaped death when he was attacked by armed robbers.

General Ahmad was returning to Minna from Abuja when he ran into a road block mounted by about 10 robbers dressed in police uniform.

According to eyewitnesses, the former army chief queried the policemen why they should block the road with stones even if they had to check vehicles, but as he asked the question, one of the robbers hit the drivers’ side of the car, breaking the windscreen and making the security assistant to know that they had run into a gang of robbers.

It was learnt that General Ahmad then engaged two of the robbers in a fight. This led other members of the gang to emerge from a bus and hit him on the head.

Both General Ahmad and his driver escaped into the bush with the driver running to the next police check point where he lodged a complaint.

The prompt response of the police made the robbers fleeing and the victims were taken to the IBB Specialised hospital where the security chief was treated for “laceration in the head, swollen face and strained leg”

General Ahmad was discharged from the hospital at about 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday with a directive that he should return on Friday for medical examination.

Chief Medical Drector of the hospital, Dr Mahmud Mohammed, confirmed that the SSA was admitted at the hospital but was discharged a few hours after.