Former Anambra State Governor and ex-Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, has described how his convoy came under attack by gunmen who opened fire on his aides, leaving one woman dead and injuring his police orderly.
Ngige narrated the incident on Friday when the Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, visited him at his home in Alor, Idemili South Local Government Area, to sympathise with him.
He said he had been in Anambra since Saturday and had asked his aides to run errands, including taking a vehicle for repairs, when the attackers struck while they were returning through Umuoji.
He said, “As you can see, I am alive. I am not dead, so there should be no panic. They attacked my convoy while they were returning around Umuoji. They saw some vehicles racing towards them, which later reversed, chased after them and started shooting.”
Ngige said the attackers wore police and army uniforms, adding that his convoy driver managed to escape until they crashed into a shop.
He said, “They caught up with my police security man who battled with them until his bullets were exhausted. They took away his rifle and uniform after shooting him in the leg.”
According to him, the gunmen told the two policemen that they were serving a “zoo government,” a phrase often linked to separatist agitation.
Ngige said, “I think something is in the offing. They are seizing arms and mopping up police uniforms. I have spoken to the governor, who assured me they will be tracked down. If they are not tracked down, it can lead to potential danger and an unravelling of the calmness we have enjoyed in the state.”
He said the attack could have been targeted because his convoy is easily recognised.
He explained, “My pilot driver is very well known. Anywhere people see him, they know Ngige is around. He has driven me for 22 years. So, on that basis, I may say they knew it was my convoy and decided to attack. On the other hand, it may be that they just saw a convoy with policemen and attacked them to harvest guns and uniforms.”
On the reference to a “zoo government” and rising tension over the detention of Nnamdi Kanu, Ngige said a political resolution was needed.
He said, “My take is that Nnamdi Kanu’s case requires a political solution. I met former President Muhammadu Buhari over it. Governor Soludo has also said he wants Kanu released to him. But even if they don’t want to release him to us, they can release him to Britain. Why I say so is because the symptoms he is exhibiting are bizarre.”
Peter Obi, who visited him, thanked God for Ngige’s safety and expressed sympathy for the family of the woman who died while recording the shooting.
The convoy was attacked along the Nkpor–Nnobi Road in Idemili North on Thursday. A policeman in the pilot vehicle was shot, and his gun and uniform were taken by the gunmen.
Eyewitnesses said a woman filming the attack was killed, while a shop owner who stepped out during the chaos was also shot but survived and is expected to undergo surgery.
One eyewitness said, “No policeman was killed. The escort leader who was shot has been operated upon and is expected to make a full recovery.”
