TheCable

Dakuku Peterside, director-general of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 Rivers state governorship election, survived an attempt on his life by unknown gunmen on Sunday.

According to Sylvester Asoya, his media aide, two jeeps belonging to Emeka Woke, Nyesom Wike’s chief of staff, carrying two unknown gunmen trailed both Peterside’s car to UTC Junction and opened fire on their car.

“Our car however did a detour to first Aba road then old GRA with the two jeeps still trailing us. We drove to the DSS office to seek refuge and on getting to the gate the unknown gunmen opened fire again at the SSS men on guard,” Asoya’s statement read.

“The exchange of fire between the DSS men and the assailants lasted for more than 30 minutes. In course of exchange of fire my Police detail Cpl Emma Esi was shot at and seriously injured . This is a very ugly experience but I thank God that my colleagues and I escaped unhurt.

“When the DSS men demobilized the two jeeps, we found out that the man at the back of the car who was identifying us to the assailants is Wike’s Chief of staff, Emeka Woke. He has been arrested by the DSS.

“Today’s experience is not only terrifying but also shows the parlous state of security in Rivers State. If I can be engaged openly by gunmen for nearly an hour in the heart of Port Harcourt, only God knows the fate that will befall members of our party and those sympathetic to our predicament. What is happening today in our dear state is not only horrible but also constitutes serious national security risk‎.”

According to the statement, Peterside was in the company of Davies Ikanya, chairman of the Rivers state chapter of the APC, and HO Asita at the time of the incident.