Baba fell forward, hitting the ground. Members of the anti-bomb squad led by Sgt. Defoe also hit the ground trying to take cover.
Cpl Attinka screamed and dropped the gun he had been wielding as he buckled down on his knees, clutching at his right hand. It had taken a bullet from Lt. Clottey; just after Cpl. Attinka had counted three, Lt Clottey, who had his pistol aimed at him while he had one pointed at Baba pulled the trigger, shooting the hand that was wielding the gun. The Corporal screamed and let go of it. One of the members of the anti-bomb squad got up, ran to the Corporal and picked the gun by his side. Two others ran towards him and pinned him down.
“It is okay, Baba. I got him first. Get up” Lt. Clottey told the national security operative. Baba stirred, and stared blankly at Lt. Clottey.
“Baba, you have not been shot. I shot him. You are okay,” Lt. Clottey repeated.
Baba stared at his body, expecting to see blood but saw none. He stared over at Cpl. Attinka who was clutching in pain at his right hand but now on his feet though hemmed in-between two members of the anti-bomb squad. Only then did the import of what had happened dawned on the security operative.
“I am alive!” he said, almost in a whisper as he got up from the ground, first into a sitting position and then standing up with a look of triumph in his eyes.
Subdued and in pain, Cpl Attinka could no longer offer any resistance. He was marched back to the Vice President’s car, where he had wired explosives. Lt. Clottey explained to Vice-President Mensah why Cpl Attinka’s right hand had a gun wound. The Vice-President took a step forward so she stood face to face with the second person who had tried to assassinate her that morning.
“How much did they pay you to assassinate me?” she asked Cpl. Paul Attinka remained silent.
“You think your paymaster, Rex Yamoah, will turn up to save you, huh?” the Vice-President asked again. Corporal Attinka would still not talk. The Vice-President shrugged, as the anti-bomb squad got ready to find out what the Corporal had planted in the car.
They immediately got down to work, instructing everyone to back off from the car just in case it explodes while they are trying to deactivate it. The Vice-President, Lt. Clottey, the 2 national security operatives and 1 member of the anti-bomb squad who were giving specific instructions to keep an eye on Cpl. Attinka all retreated to about fifty metres away from the car. Approximately six minutes later, the squad deactivated and retrieved what had been planted in the engine of the car; an explosive wired to the ignition and which would have blown the car and its occupants had the ignition been switched on.
Vice-President Mensah stared in horror at the explosives when the anti-bomb squad brought it to her and explained to her what would have happened had she turned the key in the ignition. They were still explaining issues to her when Lt. Clottey saw the bleeding Cpl. Attinka jumped at the soldier guarding him, snatched his pistol from him and aimed at the Vice-President. However, before he could pull the trigger, the lieutenant shot him twice in the chest.
The Vice-President screamed out in fright. The Corporal reeled back, dropped the gun and slumped to the ground; life began to ebb out of him.
The Vice-President sank to her knees, trembling. She had come very close to been assassinated for the third time within a span of four hours.