be very careful in our present Nigeria.
Alhaji Simbat Popoola Lateef is grateful to God for sparing his life.
And he sure has enough cause to. The politician's car recently
exploded while he was driving the vehicle.
Expectedly, the blast damaged the new car. But quite incredibly, the
Lagos politician was unhurt! He said he would remain eternally
indebted to God for keeping him alive in spite of the blast that
shattered his car.
The incident happened around 11.30pm on January 18, 2015 on God in
Action Avenue, Wilmer Quarters, in Ajeromi /Ifelodun Local Government
Area of Lagos State. After unwinding with his friends around his
quarters, Lateef said he was driving home when the engine of his
Hyundai car caught fire. He said he managed to escape from the burning
car and shouted for help from neighbours who were probably already
asleep at that hour.
He commended the prompt response and assistance rendered by some
residents around the scene of the incident, noting that the
kindhearted individuals risked their lives, came out from their
houses, dashed to the vehicle and eventually doused the fire.
However, the lucky Lateef, who said he was currently a chairmanship
aspirant under the All Progressives Party (APC) in Ajeromi LGA, raised
the alarm that some assassins might be after his life.
When asked if he was suspicious of anyone that might be after his
life, Alhaji Lateef said the present political campaign heat in the
country was capable of giving birth to rancour that would degenerate
to a life-threatening situation. The subsequent day, mobile policemen
from the Anti Bomb Unit, Ikeja, were seen examining the scene.
Alhaji further stated that his perceived enemies might be within his
political party or in the opposition parties, adding that such people
might be afraid of his political relevance during the forthcoming
general elections.
He reported the ugly development to a nearby police station, and the
police had commenced investigation to unravel exactly what led to the
fire outbreak in the car.
He narrated: "I was the Supervisor for Environment in Ajeromi LGA, but
I am presently the chairmanship aspirant under APC in this our LGA.
Yesterday, I went somewhere called Agausa in Ajegunle Area, which is
not too far from my house to relax. I left that place around 11.30pm,
and as I drove for about five minutes heading to my house, suddenly,
there was an explosion on my car.
"The engine by the side of the front left tyre suddenly exploded. To
me, I suspected that somebody had secretly planted an explosive device
inside my vehicle to terminate me. When I heard the sound, I jumped
out of my car and I shouted for people to come out and assist me.
I thank God for their response because they were able to put out the
fire. Meanwhile, the fire had already damaged some part of the
vehicle. All the same, I thank God for my life because it is not
really the vehicle that got burnt that matter to me; it is my life.
"To my surprise, when we eventually quenched the fire, the vehicle was
still working and the car's air-condition was still on. I went to the
police station to make a report and they came to the scene. They are
still investigating the matter.
"This is a political campaign era and desperate politicians can go to
any length to clear people off their way for the sake of occupying
public offices. To me, I thought we have passed that era where we
would be assassinating one another because of politics.
By now, we should be playing advanced politics and true democracy just
as it is obtainable in most of the developed countries.
"The electorate should be allowed to freely choose candidates of their
choice, according to the aspirants' credibility, ideology and party
manifesto presented to them during campaign. It is not a do or die
thing."
He warned that when politicians continued to constitute themselves as
threat to one another, Nigeria's future democracy would be threatened.
He advised that irrespective of political parties, what should be most
important to patriotic politicians and public office seekers should be
the development of the country.
Lateef added that for Nigeria to achieve peace and tranquillity, all
politicians needed to adhere strictly to the rules of the game.
"I will use this opportunity to tell Nigerians to be security
conscious. I also want the security agencies to be alert especially
during this period of campaigns and forthcoming elections. I know that
the Babatunde Fashola administration had been encouraging police in
the state but let them not rest on their oars in protecting lives and
property.
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