A convoy associated with former Anambra State governor, Chris Ngige, came under heavy attack on the Nkpor–Nnobi Road in Idemili North Local Government Area, leaving a police operative injured and sparking a state-wide manhunt for the assailants.
Ngige’s former media aide, Sir Fred Chukwuelobe, clarified that the former governor was not travelling with the convoy when the attack occurred.
Reports indicate that gunmen, disguised in police and military uniforms, targeted the pilot vehicle, shooting an officer and carting away his rifle and uniform.
Eyewitnesses who witnessed the chaos on Thursday recounted that a woman filming the incident was killed on the spot. Another victim—a shop owner who rushed out upon hearing gunfire—was also hit but survived.
According to one eyewitness, “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.”
The Anambra State Police Command, through its spokesman SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the assault and stated that a comprehensive operation was underway to track down the attackers.
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Ikenga revealed that the white Mercedes-Benz SUV stolen by the assailants had been recovered. He stated, “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.”
He explained that a joint team of operatives from the Operations Department Awka, Rapid Response Squad Akwuzu, and the Special Anti-Cultism Unit engaged the fleeing criminals after they attacked a patrol team at Eziowelle. During the chase, another police convoy—later identified as that of Senator Chris Ngige—joined the firefight.
Ikenga added, “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.”
The recovered vehicle is now in police custody as investigations continue. Ikenga assured residents that a state-wide hunt for the attackers is actively ongoing, saying, “Further developments shall be communicated, please.”