Policeman killed as gunmen attack Okorocha’s convoy

A former governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, has escaped an attack on his convoy by gunmen.

Okorocha’s convoy was said to be going back to Enugu after dropping him in Owerri when his fleet came under a barrage of gunshots at Ihube, along Okigwe-Enugu Expressway on Friday.

The hoodlums, who probably saw the convoy when it was en route to Owerri might have thought that the former governor was in the convoy when it was going back to Enugu.

Though he escaped by the whiskers, a policeman in the escort vehicle was killed.

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Ihube axis of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway had been under the siege of terrorists who had been killing and kidnapping people for ransom.

The former governor, who confirmed the incident on Sunday at Amaimo in the Ikeduru Local Government Area of the state, at the birthday anniversary celebration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the November 11 governorship election in the state, Samuel Anyanwu, expressed surprise on the attack on him, describing it as unfortunate.

He also expressed sadness over the killing of the police officer

Okorocha who ruled the state between 2011 and 2019 said that the victim killed was one of the policemen deployed from the Enugu State Government House to escort him to the burial ceremony of the mother of the immediate past governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha.

The former governor said that he was returning from Enugu after attending the burial ceremony of the wife of a former senate president, Ken Nnamani.

Okorocha said that the governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, had released vehicles and security men to take him and his team to Imo State for the burial ceremony of Ihedioha’s mother.

He disclosed that it was after he had finished attending the funeral ceremony at Mbaise and the convoy had dropped him at his Spilbat mansion in Owerri and was heading back to Enugu that they were attacked.

Okorocha said that he was embittered because he felt safe in Enugu only to be attacked and a security agent killed in his own state.

He said, “I am angry. I am very angry. I am angry because I spent two days in Enugu and nothing happened to me but it is in my own state that the convoy released to me by the governor of Enugu State (a very good man) to attend the burial ceremony of Ihedioha’s mother at Mbaise was attacked and one policeman killed.

“What is happening in Imo State makes me angry. Many people who are running to govern Imo State are not capable but I have seen one man who the cap fits. When it is time I will speak.”

One of the ex-governor’s aides who spoke to our correspondent in confidence said that the vehicles in the convoy, which comprised a sports Utility Vehicle,  a bus and a Hilux were shattered by bullets.

He said two other security agents were kidnapped by the gunmen but were released the same day.

Efforts to get the Police Public Relations Officer in Imo, ASP Henry Okoye and his Enugu State counterpart, Daniel Ndukwe, were not successful as their phones rang repeatedly unanswered.