Awka
About ten persons have reportedly died following an attack on the convoy of the member representing Anambra South Senatorial District, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah on Sunday evening.
The attack had happened Sunday evening near Nkwo market, Enugu-Ukwu in Njikoka Council Area of Anambra State.
The Senator was ambushed by the heavily armed assassins, said to be about 9 in number, who opened fire on his convoy, killing about 10 persons including security operatives and the lawmaker’s aides.
The senator was said to have managed to escape though his car was said to be riddled with bullets.
Details gathered by TNC correspondent show that some of the deceased persons have been identified.
In a phone call conversation, the spokesperson of Anambra State Police command, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga however denied knowledge of the exact number of persons killed in the attack.
The attack has been described as an assassination attempt on the senator, as eyewitnesses said the gunmen targeted every car in his convoy, especially his security men, and riddled them with bullets.
A source said Senator Ubah lost his personal treasurer, Mr Ikechukwu Odum who is his most trusted aide.
He also disclosed that the senator’s personal assistant, Mr Goodness Mathias was also killed in the gun attack.
“Another man killed, who was not in the convoy of the Senator was identified as Onowu Agu-Ukwu Nri.
“He is said to be a titled chief in neighbouring Nri community, and had just driven to Enugwu-Ukwu to drop someone who visited him, who would be traveling to Lagos this morning, and he was unlucky to be at that point at the time when Senator Ubah was going to be attacked.
“He was driving a big jeep, so the assassins may have thought he was in the same convoy with the senator, and he was gunned down.
“In the confusion yesterday, all the cars were just jamming each other.
“Since the vehicle the senator was driving in was a bullet proof car, his driver managed to manoeuver out of the damaged cars and drive away, even as it was being shot,” the source narrated.
Other people identified to have been killed were six Mobile Police Men who were riding in the convoy of the Senator, and a driver, who was said to be driving one of Ubah’s cars.
Meanwhile, Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, has condemned the attack by yet-to-be identified gun men on Senator Uba, describing it as the ‘last ditched-effort of a sinking boat’ by these criminal elements.
A statement on Sunday night by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Christian Aburime, quotes Governor Soludo as saying his government is fully determined to wipe out every act of criminality in the State.
The statement read; “Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR has condemned in strong terms, the attack by yet-to-be identified gun men on Dr Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah’s convoy, Senator representing Anambra South Senatorial Zone this evening
“While condemning the attack, Governor Soludo said government is fully determined to wipe out every act of criminality in the State.
“He reiterated that ‘this is the last ditched-effort of a sinking boat’ by these criminal elements.”
The statement revealed the governor’s assurances that all security agencies are now on full alert to fish out the perpetrators of this heinous attack, who will be made to face the full wrath of the law
“The Governor commiserates with Dr Ifeanyi Ubah and families of his aides who lost their lives as well as the State Commissioner of Police, for the Policemen who also lost their lives,” the governor said in the statement.
