Nigerian Immigrant In Guyana State House Attack To Be Interrogated

News Americas, GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Tues. Dec. 20, 2022: A Nigerian immigrant who was shot after stabbing a Presidential guard in Guyana last week, is set to be interrogated shortly.

Bethel Ikena Chinezie, 25, has reportedly come off the ventilator he was on after being shot thrice by presidential guards last Thursday in an attempt to infiltrate State House.

Guyana Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum said today that a team of investigators, are on their way to see if they can have access to Chinezie to interview him in relation to the incident.

Chinezie attacked Teon Perreira, a presidential guard and stabbed him five times about his body.

Chinezie had arrived in Guyana on March 13, 2020, and was previously employed with a security company. Last Thursday, at about 7:30 h, Chinezie approached the security detail at a southern guard hut in the compound of State House, located near Carmichael Street, with a demand to see the President. He was cautioned about having to be processed before entering the compound, but he resisted being processed, then whipped out a knife from a pouch he was carrying and used same to stab Perreira. After injuring Perreira, Chienzie relieved a female guard of her firearm and retreated from the guard hut.

It was then that shots rang out. Civilian videos of the ordeal on Thursday morning captured Chinezie walking backwards from the guard hut while continuing to exchange gunfire with the Presidential Guards and other ranks. The severely injured Nigerian national was later surrounded, intercepted, and disarmed by ranks.

Both the injured guard and the attacker were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) for immediate medical attention. Perreira was rushed into surgery at the GPHC. He later regained consciousness and is reportedly alert but remains hospitalized as well at the Georgetown Public Hospital.