Gunmen attacked the convoy of former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha.
Okorocha’s convoy was reported to be returning to Enugu after dropping him off in Owerri when it was ambushed by gunmen along the Okigwe-Enugu Expressway on Friday.
Hoodlums who observed the convoy on its way to Owerri may have assumed that the former governor was in the convoy on its way back to Enugu.
Despite his narrow escape, a police officer in the escort vehicle was killed.
Confirming this on Sunday at Amaimo in the state’s Ikeduru Local Government Area, during the birthday anniversary celebration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Samuel Anyanwu for the November 11 governorship election in the state, expressed surprise and described the attack as unfortunate.
He also expressed sorrow at the death of the police officer.
Okorocha, who governed the state from 2011 to 2019, stated that the victim was one of the policemen dispatched from the Enugu State Government House to accompany him to the burial ceremony of the mother of Imo State’s immediate past governor, Emeka Ihedioha.
The former governor stated that he was coming from Enugu after attending the funeral ceremony of Ken Nnamani’s wife, a former Senate President.
Okorocha stated that the governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, had released vehicles and security personnel to transport him and his team to Imo State for Ihedioha’s mother’s burial.
He revealed that they were attacked after he was done attending the funeral ceremony in Mbaise and the convoy had dropped him off at his Spilbat estate in Owerri on its way back to Enugu.
Okorocha expressed bitterness as he felt safe in Enugu only to be attacked and a security man 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.”
According to one of the ex-governor’s aides who talked to our correspondent in confidence, bullets destroyed the vehicles in the convoy, which included a sports utility vehicle, a bus, and a Hilux.
He stated that the gunmen snatched two more security agents but released them the same day.
