Four Anambra-based journalists and three Domestic Election Observers from Abuja escaped death by the whiskers on Saturday at Okija , Ihiala Local government Area after armed youths attacked them with dangerous weapons.
The journalists, Eche Nwaobasi and Gloria Anaeze, Special Correspondents of Daily Independent Newspapers, Chike Ofili of Anambra State National Light Newspapers and Afam Aminui-Chimezie, a freelancer had gone to Ihiala axis with some domestic observers in a Golf Car.
On getting to Okija, they had stopped by at the residence of Akachukwu Nwankpo, Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) before stepping out to get situation reports in some polling units when they ran into some youths wielding dangerous weapons.
Eche Obasi who narrated the incident to journalists yesterday, said the boys num- bering six at the initial stage had guns, cutlasses and logs of woods in their kitty.
“They commanded us to surrender all our possessions after telling us that they are Biafrans and don’t want anything to do with Nigeria and its politics. We told them we are journalists but they cared less. They started beating us, ransacked our bags, collected our money and said they will kill us all.
“They made phone calls and about eight other boys joined them. At a stage, they brought a keg of petrol and doused our vehicle threatening to burn us alive with the car. Madam Gloria kept shouting telling them that her mother hails from Okija and that was when one of them prevailed on others and they commanded us to run and leave the community immediately.”