By Mark Vester

According to reports in The Vangard, This Day and The Daily Sun , an attempt was made on the life of WBC interim-heavyweight champion Samuel Peter. The incident took place on December 15 at the Le Meridien Hotel in Uyo, Akwa.

The translation of these reports is difficult to piece together, but it appears to have resulted from an argument that began between Peter and his wife. Police inspector Mike Okiro told the papers:

“Peter had a minor domestic squabble with his wife, who invited her brother and an uncle, who rather than settle the misunderstanding, attempted to kill the heavyweight boxing champion,” Okiro said.   

Okiro says that Godwin Edet Etim (Peter's in-law) and Anthony Afia (the wife’s uncle) had arrived at the hotel and “following an altercation between them and Peter," Edet Etim went for a pump action shotgun, concealed in their SUV vehicle, cocked it and was about to shoot. Corporal Uzoma Promise and the three policemen who on duty at the hotel intervened and broke up the scuffle.

The alleged suspects denied having any intent to kill Peter, as Edet Etim told police he was only planning to use the gun as a scare tactic. 

“It was when Peter charged on us like a bull, knowing he is a trained boxer that we rushed to fetch the gun, but we did not intend to kill him,” Edet Etim said. “My sister gave us a distress call on the 15th of December that her husband seized her car keys and threw her out of the hotel and I and my uncle rushed there. Upon approaching him, he was tearing his clothes and threatening to beat us up, including my sister. I then went to my uncle’s car to remove the gun but I wanted to scare him, not kill him, because he is so powerful and we cannot fight him. I want to say that I am not demented, I went to school and I am a married and responsible man. I agree that I pulled the gun. I only wanted to prevent him from assaulting my sister”.

The two suspects will soon be arraigned before a local court. Peter is scheduled to challenge WBC heavyweight champion Oleg Maskaev on March 8 in Cancun, Mexico.

Send News Tips and Comments To Mark Vester @ boxingscene@hotmail.com