Unknown gunmen have attacked a vehicle conveying an engineer of the Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) working on the Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri rail line project.
According to the CCECC Public Relations Officer for the Itakpe rail project, Ekpenyong Ekanem, the expatriate identified as Lu Tom was on his way back to Uromi Camp from Uromi station, when he was attacked at about 4:20 PM on Friday, September 7, 2018 by a group of gunmen numbering about seven.
According to him, “At about 4:20pm on the September7, 2018, a company vehicle of ours (Hilux pickup) conveying a Chinese Engineer was assailed by a group of armed gunmen of about 7 in number, on its way back to Uromi Camp from Uromi Station.”
“The assailants ambushed the vehicle emerging from the bush, armed with rifles and opened fire on the vehicle, forcing the driver to frantically reverse in an attempt to escape, while the escort solider exchanged fire with the gunmen” he narrated further.
“However, more gunmen lying in wait, opened fire on the vehicle.
The driver was eventually forced to go back to the Uromi station for safety and seek for military reinforcement,” he said.
Ekanem further said that no life or property was lost, but bullet scratches were on the vehicle after the attack.
He stated, “CCECC currently do not know the intent and purpose of these attacks. Although, our staff and security personnel are investigating as we await an official police report on the incident.”
He also revealed that two locals had been adopted along the same route recently and another attack by armed gunmen on April, 30, 2018, in which a transporting Toyota Hiace from a local company and the passengers inside were attacked by gunmen around the Ekekhen Station.
Our correspondent had previously reported that the security challenges on the corridor are of the critical challenges affecting the pace of work on the project.
The Minister of transportation Rotimi Amaechi who visited the facility recently told the contractor the project must be completed by October as scheduled.
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