Alex Otti: How God Took Me Away From Assassins in 2015

Abia State Governor Alex Otti has recounted how he escaped what he described as an assassination attempt at his Abuja residence in 2015, saying he believed God had directed him to leave the city shortly before the attack.

The governor spoke on Thursday night at the Abia Solemn Assembly and Covenant Renewal Service held in Umuahia by the state government. The event was organised under the theme, “Remembering the Covenant.”

Otti used the occasion to reflect on his political journey and the challenges he encountered after venturing into politics, saying his commitment to serving God had sustained him through difficult experiences.

According to him, the incident occurred in July 2015 while he was challenging the result of the governorship election at the tribunal. Okezie Ikpeazu of the Peoples Democratic Party had been declared the winner of the election.

Otti said he was in Abuja for a meeting that was repeatedly postponed before it eventually failed to hold.

He said he subsequently told his friends that he would travel out of Abuja the following day, despite their objections.

“There was only one flight from Abuja to Owerri then.

“All my friends objected. I said, Well, I have received a message that I must leave Abuja.

“So, to make it make sense, I told them I wanted to be at the tribunal on Friday, so they grudgingly accepted.

“That night, assassins attacked my residence in Abuja, shot two policemen dead, and they were looking for me.

“Of course, God had taken me away,” Otti said.

He explained that the attackers did not find him and subsequently moved into a neighbouring compound, apparently believing that he was still somewhere on the premises.

“When they finished and couldn’t find me. They were convinced I was there.

“They had so much time. By the way, this was Maitama.

“They jumped into the next compound, and I learnt that they were up to 12.

“They jumped into the next compound and stripped the whole building,” he said.

Otti said he had no obvious reason to leave Abuja at the time, but viewed his departure as an act of divine intervention.

“They thought I jumped first, but I left.

“There was no reason for me not to be there, but God had taken me away from there,” he said.

Friends advised Otti to seek protection

The governor also disclosed that some friends had tried to convince him not to enter politics. When he refused to back down, he said some of them advised him to seek protection through traditional means.

“A lot of friends, after trying to dissuade me, found I couldn’t be dissuaded.

“They said, Okay, if you decided to do this thing, you can’t go in there empty-handed.

“You can’t go there without belonging to some societies.

“You can’t go there without going to some native doctors for protection, and you will be shocked at the kind of people that are making these suggestions, and some of them are leaders in churches.”

Otti said he instead remained committed to his faith, referring to the biblical passage in Joshua 24:15.

“But then, I’m always reminded about Joshua 24:15, where Joshua said to the Israelites that ‘If it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom you would serve.’

“But then he ended that ‘as for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord.’”

He said the scripture demonstrated the importance of making a conscious decision about whom to serve.

“So, if you don’t understand why you are here, this is why you are here.

“And, if you have not taken that decision, it’s not too late, because there is no other power,” he said.

The governor said the experience reinforced his faith and his conviction about the path he had chosen, adding that his administration would continue to pursue its responsibilities through faith and service.

Abia government renews covenant

Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Uzor Nwachukwu, said the state had experienced years of captivity before Otti emerged as governor.

Nwachukwu said Otti and his team spent seven days fasting and praying after winning the 2023 governorship election, describing the exercise as a rededication of Abia to God.

He said the return three years later was an opportunity to give thanks and commit the next political dispensation to God.

“Through seasons of challenges and triumphs, His faithfulness has remained our anchor in challenging times.

“He held us, broke the chains of stagnation and moved us to where He has promised.

“Human effort alone cannot sustain the prosperity and progress we desire.

“The scripture reminds us that unless the Lord watches over a city, the watchmen watch in vain.

“As we stand on the threshold of a new dispensation, this service is a sacred altar of rededication,” he said.

Lead Pastor of Transforming Church International, Dr Sam Oye, in his homily, commended Otti and his team for their achievements during the administration’s first three years.

Oye mentioned road infrastructure, healthcare, education, fiscal responsibility and land reforms among the areas where he said progress had been recorded.

However, he stressed that the administration still had more work ahead, citing Joshua 13:1.

“The word of the Lord to us on this Covenant Renewal Day is simple: more land to possess. More work to be done.

“More people to be reached. More systems to be reformed. And more potential in Abia to be released.

“Whereas we celebrate all the great things we have accomplished, we are saying we still have so much left undone.

“Our vision must survive personalities, political parties and election seasons.

“The vision must redefine the productive future of each of the 17 Local Government Areas,” Oye said.

He called on Otti to map out industrial and agro-processing corridors, stressing, “Our focus must be on strengthening institutions.”

NAN reports that Deputy Governor Ikechukwu Emetu, other top government officials and clerics attended the service.

The event included intercessory prayers, praise and worship, ministrations and exhortations by clerics.

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