Former governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayo Fayose, yesterday escaped death by the whiskers when his driver, Mr. Nathaniel Saliu, and his vehicle were attacked by a group of people whose identities were unknown as at press time between Ilupeju-Ekiti and Ire-Ekiti in Ekiti State.

Fayose, who was said to have traveled to Abuja for a political meeting, sent his driver back to Ado-Ekiti before the vehicle and the driver were attacked by the hoodlums.

Narrating his ordeal to newsmen on telephone yesterday evening in Ado-Ekiti, Saliu said the incident happened between 11am and 12noon while he was coming from Abuja to Ado-Ekiti.

According to him, he was coming from Abuja where he had gone to drop his boss, Fayose, at the airport, until he got to Ilupeju on his way to Ire-Ekiti when he noticed one white Hilux van with about six occupants trailing his jeep with registration number ADC 11 AY (Abuja).  He said that initially, he did not feel threatened until they both got to a place where there were several potholes and his vehicle could not move faster.

It was at this point, according to him, that the white Hilux blocked his way and four hefty men suddenly came down from the vehicle and started beating him and asking repeatedly: “Where is your boss, Fayose?.

He said after a while, when they discovered that Fayose was not inside the vehicle, they went back to their vehicle and told others in the vehicle that truly Fayose was not there.

According to Saliu, immediately after the incident, he went to Oke-Ila Police Station at about 2pm to lodge complaint.

Reacting to the incident, Fayose, who condemned the act, describe it as purely an attempt on his life.

He therefore called on the police and other security operatives to rise to the challenge before the situation gets out of hand.

It would be recalled that in the last one week, Fayose has been having problem with hoodlums, who disrupted his political meetings within the state