A woman was shot dead on Thursday when gunmen ambushed the convoy of Chris Ngige, former Anambra governor and ex-minister of labour and employment, along the Nkpor–Nnobi road in Idemili North.
Ngige was not in the convoy at the time.
Fred Chukwuelobe, Ngige’s former spokesperson, said the attackers — dressed in police and army uniforms — opened fire on the pilot vehicle, shooting a police officer and seizing his rifle and uniform.
He said the woman was killed after she began recording the assault on her phone.
A shop owner who rushed out to see what was happening was also shot. Both he and the injured police officer underwent surgery and are expected to make full recoveries, Chukwuelobe said.
Read Also: Jonathan returns to Nigeria after evacuation from coup-hit Guinea-Bissau
“No policeman was killed… the escort leader who was shot has been operated upon and is expected to make a full recovery,” he said. “The shop owner was lucky, as the bullets didn’t lodge in his spine.”
Ngige has confirmed the incident and said all injured victims would receive adequate medical care. He also condoled with the family of the woman who died.
Anambra police spokesperson Ikenga Tochukwu said officers recovered a white Mercedes-Benz SUV stolen by the assailants and have launched a statewide manhunt for the gunmen.
Ngige, who served as governor from 2003 to 2006, was abducted in the first year of his tenure — an episode that made national headlines at the time.
