Some irate youths and residents of Kogi State yesterday in Lokoja, pelted Governor Yahaya Bello with stones, rotten fruits and vegetables during Juma’at prayer at the central mosque. It was gathered that the attack may not be unconnected with the governor’s alleged non-performance and refusal to pay workers’ salaries which were running into months.

Similarly, an official in the state said this was the second time in two weeks that the governor would be so attacked as complaints mounted about the depreciating living conditions in the state. The source said: “He recently attended an event in Ankpa, and residents there defied heavy security to stone him.

We don’t understand what’s going on.” But the governor, who was attending the prayer session for the first time at the Lokoja Central Mosque was said to have gone to offer payers on behalf of the state to mark the 25th anniversary of the creation of the state.

Although it was not immediately clear why the residents carried out the attack against Bello, but eyewitnesses said the governor had arrived the prayer ground with a long convoy including Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC). Saturday Telegraph learnt that the mosque authority who could not wait for the governor, went ahead with the prayer.

The governor, on arrival, had to pray outside the mosque. Having lost one raqa’at (sitting and standing positions) prayer due to lateness, Bello in an attempt to complete the remaining raqa’at was abruptly interrupted by the youth, who chanted anti- government slogans and mocked him in the process. As if that was not enough, some other youths outside the mosque in a bid to embarrass the governor, also began to pelt stones aiming at him.

The situation eventually snowballed into heavy confusion following the release of gas canisters and sporaic gunshot into the air by the governor’s security details. Even as the people were running away from the trouble spot, the youths began to pick the already opened canister and started throwing them back at the security.

The governor, who escaped the attack, was eventually smuggled into his official car and driven off. Meanwhile, Bello has called on the people of the state to be vigilant and security conscious by checking movement of strange persons in their neighbourhood and report suspicious individuals to security agents.

The governor who stated this yesterday in Lokoja, said some people who did not have the progress of the state at heart had recruited some miscreants to cause trouble, warning trouble makers to relocate from the state or meet the superior power of the law.

He assured the people of the state that the law enforcement agencies are working hard to fish out miscreants out of the state.“I am conscious of the circumstance that brought me to power and will only be answerable to God and the people of Kogi State,” he stated. Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC), has condemned the attacked on Bello.

Speaking with CEOAFRICA source  in a telephone interview, the state Treasurer of the party, Yahaya Adesayo, disassociated the parry and it members from the incident. “We are really sad over the situation and we condemned it, but then a situation where the people are hungry, there bound to be situation like this.

“We as a party, want to plead with people of the state, to eschew violence and allow peace to reign. let us also remember that is the governor today, people should look at the office and the person. So no amount of stoning will strip him off as a governor today.

We strongly advice that the office of the governor must be respected,” he added. All effort to get the police reaction over the incident proved abortive as their spokesman in the state, Mr. William Aya, neither picked his calls nor responded to text message sent to him.