Exclusive: How Fashola escaped assassination plot by cartel
By Abiodun Alao
Irohinoodua has obtained exclusive information on how the Minister for Works, Power and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola escaped the chilling hands of assassins who had wanted to kill him. The incidence took place few weeks ago.
A reliable source told our correspondent that Fashola was ambushed by two suspicious vehicles each loaded with men with AK-47 and Uzi guns while his cowed security aides surprisingly watched in awe.
“He was nearly killed. Two vehicles blocked his way in Lagos. The armed men came to him and pointed guns at him. They told him they were contracted to eliminate him if he continued with his ways,” a reliable security source told Irohinoodua.
Our source said the horrible experience was connected to a vicious cartel that dominates the energy sector in Nigeria. The cartel continuously blocks any reform in the energy sector through huge funds they have been collecting from successive Ministers in charge of the energy sector.
“They are worried that the reforms being carried out by Mr Fashola would take the carpet off their feet. They are people that feed on the misery of Nigerians, a cartel that will never allow the energy sector to be transformed”, the source claimed.
Our correspondent learnt that Mr Fashola was earlier confronted after his meeting at the Senate by some ‘powerful individuals’ who warned him that he should not carry out any fundamental reform in the energy sector because of the routine “huge cash” in millions of dollars that are usually earmarked every year for the cartel.
“They met him in Abuja and told him there is a yearly tradition of paying a huge some of money into the account of certain individuals. These are people that dominate certain service industries that make constant profit from the inadequacies associated with the energy sector. Fashola called heir bluff and told them he was not ready to compromise the public interests. The cartel warned him that he would hear from them. Few weeks later the armed men waylaid him and nearly killed him”, the source said. The source said Mr Fashola later reported the incidence to the President, Mohammadu Buhari who promised he would investigate the matter.