A convoy associated with former Anambra State Governor Chris Ngige came under fire on Thursday along the Nkpor–Nnobi Road in Idemili North Local Government Area, sparking a police manhunt for the yet-to-be-identified attackers.
Ngige was not in the convoy at the time of the incident, according to his former media aide, Sir Fred Chukwuelobe. However, a police officer travelling in the pilot vehicle was shot. The attackers, reportedly dressed in police and military uniforms, also made away with the officer’s gun and uniform.
Eyewitnesses said a woman filming the gunmen during the attack was fatally shot. Another victim, a shop owner who rushed out to see what was happening, sustained gunshot injuries and is set to undergo surgery. Both he and the wounded police officer are expected to recover.
“The pilot car was riddled with bullets. No policeman was killed, and the escort leader who sustained injuries has been operated on,” an eyewitness said.
Confirming the attack, Anambra State Police Command spokesman SP Tochukwu Ikenga said officers had recovered a white Mercedes-Benz SUV earlier snatched by the assailants. The recovery followed a coordinated pursuit involving several tactical units, including the Rapid Response Squad and the Special Anti-Cultism Unit.
According to Ikenga, operatives on patrol at Eziowelle encountered the fleeing gunmen and were joined by another police convoy linked to Senator Chris Ngige. Both teams engaged the attackers in a gun battle, forcing them to abandon the stolen vehicle.
“One police operative who sustained a minor gunshot injury is stable and receiving treatment,” Ikenga said, adding that the recovered SUV is now in police custody as investigations continue.
The police have intensified a state-wide manhunt for the armed gang, with further updates expected from the command.
