For Aides of the Speaker, Imo State House of Assembly, fear of the unknown has become their lot. Weekend Trumpeta investigations reveal that since the gruesome murder of one of the principal officer of the Speaker, Mr. Emmanuel Adaoba at his Okuku country home, one calamity or the other has befallen assistants of the number three citizen of the State.
Before Adaoba’s death, the Speaker’s senior legislative assistant, Austin Onuoha was allegedly poisoned by unknown persons. He was said to have been rushed to St. Nicholas hospital, Lagos for treatment but later flown to Dubai where he received further medical attention.
It was also gathered that another aide to the Speaker who is in charge of Domestic Affairs was kidnapped by unknown persons but released after his abductors extracted some ransome .
The latest incident that has increased the intensity of the fear among the aides is the recent assassination attempt on the Speaker’s Special Assistant on Constituency Matters simply called Chibuzor. This particular aide was attacked by his assailants at Emekuku in Owerri North Local Government Area. He escaped by the whiskers.
The recent event occurred after Speaker Uwajumuogu and other honourable members of the Imo House of Assembly left the shores of Nigeria for a legislative retreat in South Africa. Another aide of the speaker also died mysteriously.
The tall, lanky and black skinned (names withheld) died shortly after seeing off his boss, the Speaker at the Port Harcourt International Airport enroute South Africa.Assembly sources revealed to this newspaper that the aide may have died as a result of an asthma attack as he was said to have been battling with the ailment for along period.
This development has caused a stir amongst Imo Speaker’s Aides, as fear seems to have enveloped all the aides. When contacted for comments, the Special Adviser (Media) to the Speaker, Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha denied knowledge of such incidents, blaming mischief makers for orchestrating mischievous and dangerous campaign of calumny against the Speaker and the House of Assembly.
