by Anike Jacobs
Simbat Popoola Lateef, a politician affiliated with the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos miraculously escaped death recently after his car exploded while he was driving.
Expectedly, the blast damaged the new car. But quite incredibly, the Lagos politician was came out unhurt.
The incident occurred last week on God in Action Avenue, Wilmer Quarters, in Ajeromi /Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos State.
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.”
“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. The police should strengthen its community policing so that the society would become a better and safer place for everyone of us. The country belongs to all of us. If it is good, we will enjoy it, and if it is not, we will all suffer and be in pain,” he said.
