Larai Shekwo is the wife of the late Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Philip Shekwo, who was allegedly assassinated by gunmen in Bukan-Sidi, along Kurikyo bypass, in Nasarawa State. She tells UMAR MUHAMMED how the suspected assassins took her husband’s life
Can you tell us how your husband was kidnapped?
The gunmen came in their numbers at about 11pm with sophisticated weapons and started shooting indiscriminately into the air and we became afraid and started praying for God’s intervention. When we heard heavy gunshots at the gate, we screamed. All our children were right inside their various rooms. As they (gunmen) entered our living room with their weapons, they shouted, ‘Where is Mr Mose?!’ My husband came out of his inner room and responded to them, saying he was not Mose but the state Chairman of All Progressives Congress.
What did they do next?
I was even holding his hands but they said I should move back, otherwise, they would kill me. They held my only son and wanted to take him away before my husband came out of his inner room.
Were you able to identify the gunmen?
I had never seen their faces before but they were Fulani men – very tall and slim. They carried their guns, machetes and sticks in their hands. I saw four of them, but others were outside the gate.
What did your husband say to them?
He asked them what they wanted. But they said all they wanted was for him to go with them. When I refused to leave my husband’s hands, they threatened that if I didn’t leave my husband, they would shoot me. They also asked me to go back and warned me to stop following them. I pleaded with them not to hurt him and they said they were not going to do anything to him. They said they were only looking for a ransom. That was what they told me.
Did they mention any amount?
No. They did not mention any ransom. They looked aggressive as if they were going to pull down the entire house. I was scared because I knew it was not going to be easy for us, from the moment we heard the gunshot; we knew that we were already in trouble.
Did your husband have any disagreement with his political associates, family friends or anyone in his village?
I cannot tell because he never shared anything of such with me. We were living our normal lives. Honestly, I feel very bad from the way he was taken away from me. If it were sickness, that one is a different thing. He was taken away in my presence.
What do you want the state government and security agencies to do on this matter?
I want the state government and the security agencies in the state to take drastic actions because if actions are not taken, this may reoccur. The lives of the citizens of the state are at stake. The state government needs to do something serious about it.