Gunmen on Wednesday attacked the convoy of Abia state governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu in Aba, the commercial hub of the state.
247ureports.com sources said the governor who commutes to work daily from Aba to Umuahia was on his way back to the city around 8.30pm when his convoy ran into gunmen suspected to have laid wait for him at Aba/ Owerri road. A PDP chieftain from Ibeku Umuahia told 247ureports.com that Ikpeazu has never slept at the Governor’s Lodge at Umuahia since he was inaugurated as Abia state governor.
Our correspondent learned that the governor’s convoy was using amber light without siren on the pilot security van while the gunmen were robbing a passenger bus.
As they sighted the amber light, the gunmen opened fire on Ikpeazu’s pilot car conveying his security details, but the security details overpowered the gunmen who fled the area and later embarked on a kidnapping spree of innocent victims who came their way. Sporadic gunshots from security agents and the gunmen rent the air as motorists scampered to safety.
While the governor escaped unhurt as no member of his security team was injured, the situation caused great panic with residents of the area fearing for the worst. Business owners hurriedly closed shop while several police patrol teams stormed the area.
Residents of Aba paints the situation as regrettable that Ikpeazu is watching with little efforts with the commercial city of Aba fast returning to a theatre of kidnapping and other violent crimes which was the order of the day in 2010 when businessmen and residents fled the city.
