Unknown Gunmen fire shots at James Faleke’s vehicle

House of Representatives member James Faleke escaped death after the Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) conveying him from Lokoja, the Kogi state capital, to Abuja, was shot at by unknown assailants, The Nation reports.

Faleke disclosed this himself in a report he lodged at the Gwagwalada Police Division on the outskirt of the Federal Capital City (FCT).

According to the report, the lawmaker was attacked between 7pm and 7.30pm on Sunday, November 6.

He said bullets hit the front windshield of his bullet-proof vehicle thrice near the first bridge at Gwagwalada.

Faleke said: “I was returning from Kogi state on November 6 and my vehicle was shot at the first bridge in Gwagwalada, which is under construction between 7pm and 7.30pm.

“About three bullets hit my jeep, but thank God, it was a bulletproof car. The bullets cracked the windscreen but did not penetrate. I’m grateful to God for the life of my driver, orderly and myself. We reported the incident to the Police Division in Gwagwalada, FCT.”

Faleke was the running mate to the Kogi state All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the November 21, 2015 election, the late Prince Abubakar Audu.

He was set to become deputy governor of Kogi before Audu, who was about to be declared winner of the poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) passed away.

Hence, the commission declared the election inconclusive and ordered a supplementary election on December 5.

But Faleke challenged INEC’s decision and the nomination of another candidate, Governor Yahaya Bello, by the APC as Audu’s replacement at the rerun.

Faleke’s appeal ended at the Supreme Court, which ruled that the party was in order to field another candidate for the supplementary election.