Wounded Odike fights back …vows to expose his attackers

AKWASI ADDAI the Founder and Leader of the United Progressive Party (UPP), who came under fierce gun attack in Kumasi on Monday, has said he saw the face of his attackers.

Widely known in political circles as ‘Odike’, the outspoken politician has therefore vowed to assist the police in Kumasi to apprehend the said suspects to face the laws of the land.

The UPP leader came under severe gun attack on Monday evening when two masked men stormed the Ashanti Regional UPP Office at Patase in Kumasi.

Interestingly, even though the UPP office is located just behind the Police Training School in Kumasi, the two gunmen mustered courage and stormed the place without fear.

According to Odike, the two men entered the UPP office when he (Odike) was having a meeting with some people, adding that they (attackers) came there to just eliminate him.

Odike said it was the Angels of God who descended from heaven to cover him from his attackers, saying that he was right there, yet the gunmen kept asking about his (Odike’s) whereabouts.

“The two men were wielding guns and they came to the office ostensibly to eliminate me but even though one of them knows me very well, he couldn’t recognize me at the time.

“They kept asking about where is Odike, where is Odike?. And when they kept searching for me, I swerved them and took refuge in a washing room in the office”, the UPP leader has disclosed.

He noted that his attackers, one of whom he (Odike) knows very well in Kumasi, fired series gunshots into the party office and his vehicle, which was parked in front of the office and sped off.

Odike, who sounded very upset and angry, noted that “I know one of the attackers in Kumasi and I will provide the necessary information about him to the police for his immediate arrest”.

Meanwhile, THE NEW PUBLISHER has gathered that a man in the UPP office resisted the attackers and so they hit his face with the butt of a gun, resulting in facial injuries.

Odike, who was brimming with rage, said he still stand by his earlier stance that some chiefs in Asanteman were indulging in illegal mining also known as ‘Galamsey’, which led to his alleged banishment.

According to him, he would not apologize to the Manhyia Palace, the seat of the Asantehene, stressing that “the battle line has been drawn now so I will seek police protection moving forward”.

Odike was banished from Asanteman last Friday after Asante Chiefs slaughtered a ram and performed some rites. They accused Odike of being disrespectful to the Asante King.

It has not been confirmed yet if the attack on Odike’s life had something to do with his banishment from the Asante Kingdom.

Meanwhile, no arrest has been made by the police following the attack on Odike’s life.
The paper learnt that investigations are already underway.