By Suleiman Anyalewechi
Four days after attacking a military checkpoint and killing three soldiers in Umuokpara, Umuahia South Local Council of Abia State gunmen, again, Sunday night, November 17, ambushed and attacked the convoy of a Labour Party House of Representatives Member, Hon Ginger Onwusibe.
The attack which occurred at about 9.00am in Ubakala, Umuahia South Local Government, resulted in the killing of one of the police officers attached to the lawmaker representing Isiala Ngwa South / North Federal Constituency of the Abia State, and another seriously injured.
The attack comes on the heels of Abia State Government’s warning that it will not sit by idly and watch some reactionary forces disrupt the fragile peace of the State.
The Source reports that early Wednesday morning, November 13, some armed hoodlums had stormed a military checkpoint at Ekenobisi Umuokpara, around the border between Abia and Imo states, shot and killed three soldiers on duty, before dismantling the security checkpoint.
In the video clip of the attack, the gunmen were seen throwing away the sand bags used for checkpoint, as well as issuing threats both to the State Governor and Security Agencies.
According to witnesses’ accounts, the Lawmaker, Hon Onwusibe ,who represents Governor Alex Otti’s constituency at the National Assembly was, however, not in the convoy at the time of the attack.
The gunmen who wore police bullet proof vests blocked the Federal legislator’s convoy with one of their operational vehicles – a Toyota Corolla.
The gunmen reportedly started shooting sporadically on sighting the Police Officers in the convoy, killing one of them, before fleeing the scene.
It is not yet clear as to the motives of the ambush and attack. But there are strong indications that it was targeted at the Lawmaker, a close ally of Governor Otti.
Although as at the time of reporting, neither the police nor the Lawmaker has reacted to the development, a security source however revealed that investigation is underway to ascertain the actual circumstances surrounding the latest security breach within the state capital.
It was also gathered that security agencies have launched a manhunt for the perpetrators the same way efforts are on to track down the killers of the solders last Wednesday.
In a statement issued by the Governor’s media aide Ferdinand Ekeoma on Sunday November 17 ,the state Government, noted that credible intelligence at its disposal has established that some unpatriotic politicians, working in concert with some external forces are behind the spate of violent crimes in the state since May this year.
The overriding agenda, according to the State authorities to cause disaffection, and distract the Government from its focus on the development of the State.
“This strategy kicked in as they ( opposition) realized that their initial efforts at churning out lies and fabrications against the Government in pretentious posturing as opposition has failed to gain currency amongst Abia people who have thoroughly ignored them and their antics since they know the truth.
“While the Abia State Government is one that is known and acknowledged locally,and internationally as peace loving ,it must be noted that we will not yield to blackmail or intimidation.
“It needs to be understood that the Government will not sit by idly and watch. any person or group of persons unleash violence on innocent and peace loving citizens of the state.
“Having sworn to an oath to protect the lives and properties of Abians ,including every inch of Abia territory, the Government wishes to declare that those behind the attacks on security agents and innocent civilians, including kidnappings of law a abiding citizens with a view to creating anarchy and instill fear in the minds of Abians and visitors after their failure to use lies and Propaganda to incite Abians, should understand that the Government will bring its capacity and institutional forces to bear in order to smoke them out”, part of the Government statement reads.
