The convoy of former Anambra State Governor Chris Ngige came under fire on Thursday, November 27, when armed men ambushed the pilot vehicle along the Nkpor–Nnobi Road in Idemili North.
Ngige was not travelling with the team at the time of the attack.
According to his former media aide, Sir Fred Chukwuelobe, the gunmen, dressed in what appeared to be police and army uniforms, shot a police operative in the lead vehicle and carted away his rifle and uniform.
Eyewitnesses at the scene recounted that a woman filming the attack was killed instantly. A nearby shop owner who rushed out during the shooting was also hit by bullets and later taken to hospital.
One eyewitness explained, “A shop owner who raced to find out what was happening was also shot, but he only lost a lot of blood and will be operated upon soon to remove the bullets. He is expected to make a full recovery. The pilot car was riddled with bullets.
“No policeman was killed, and the escort leader who was shot has been operated upon and is expected to make a full recovery. The shop owner was lucky as the bullets didn’t lodge in his spine.”
Confirming the incident, the spokesman for the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said officers have intensified efforts to track down the attackers.
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He said, “The Anambra State Police Command wishes to inform the general public that a white Mercedes-Benz SUV, earlier snatched by armed criminals, has been successfully recovered following a coordinated police response during a pursuit operation.
“A combined team of Police Tactical Operatives from the Operations Department Awka, the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) Akwuzu, and the Special Anti-Cultism Unit (SPACS) Enugu-Ukwu, while in hot pursuit of armed criminals who attacked a police patrol team at Eziowelle along Umuoji Road, encountered a police convoy that promptly joined in the engagement.
“The convoy swiftly aligned with the pursuing operatives and engaged the hoodlums in a gun duel, forcing the criminals to abandon the snatched white Mercedes-Benz SUV and flee the scene under intense pressure.
“Meanwhile, one police operative who sustained a minor gunshot injury is stable and currently receiving treatment at a medical facility.
“Preliminary information indicates that the officers in the convoy are attached to Senator Chris Ngige, former Governor of Anambra State and former Minister of Labour and Employment.
“The recovered vehicle has been secured and taken into police custody for further investigation, as operatives intensify a coordinated state-wide manhunt for the fleeing armed hoodlums.
“Further developments shall be communicated, please,” he added.