Former Anambra State governor and immediate past Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, has given an account of how his convoy was attacked by gunmen on Wednesday.
Ngige spoke to journalists when the presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Mr Peter Obi, visited him to commiserate with him over the attack.
The former governor said he had been in Anambra since Saturday and had sent his personal aides on errands, including taking one of his vehicles for maintenance, when they were attacked on their way back. The incident led to the death of a woman, while his police orderly was shot in the leg and dispossessed of his rifle and uniform.
Dispelling rumours of his death, Ngige said: “As you can see, I’m alive, I’m not dead, so there should be no panic or fear. They attacked my convoy while they were coming back around Umuoji when they saw some vehicles racing towards them, and later reversed and chased after them, and started shooting.
“They were all dressed in police and army uniforms, so my convoy driver dribbled them until they ran into a shop and they caught up with my police security men, who battled with them until his bullets were exhausted. They took away his rifle and his uniform and that was after they shot him in the leg.
“They told the two policemen that they were serving a zoo government. So I think something is in the offing; they are seizing arms, mopping up police uniforms. I have spoken to the governor of the state, who assured me they will be tracked down, because if they are not tracked down, that can lead to potential danger and a sign of potential unravelling of the calm we have enjoyed in the state for three months now.
“You know we are entering the Christmas season and our people will be coming home. They need to be tracked down because it is a gang with a modus operandi of operating in police uniforms.”
On whether it was a targeted attack, the former senator said it could have been, because his convoy and drivers are well known, but added that it might also have been coincidental, as the group could simply have been seeking out policemen to seize weapons and uniforms.
He said: “My pilot driver is very well known and most people know that anywhere they see him, they know Ngige is there. He has driven me for 22 years. So on that basis, I may say they knew it was my convoy and decided to attack. On the other hand, I can say they do not know; they may have just seen a convoy with policemen and decided to attack them. So I’m not talking about targeting me now; anyone who targets me is wasting his time.”
Speaking on the claims of the gunmen that the police were serving a zoo government, and on the recent jailing of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Ngige said: “When they told the security men that they were serving a zoo government and that they should tell their masters they are coming for them. You know what that means.
“My own take is that Nnamdi Kanu’s case is for a political solution. I met President Buhari on that. Governor Soludo has also said that he wants Kanu to be released to him, but even if they don’t want to release him to us, they can release him to Britain.
“Why I say so is because the symptoms he is exhibiting are bizarre. I’m not a psychiatrist, but I know that something is wrong. Even the NMA people that went to do a psychiatric evaluation on him were wrong. They should look at that other part of it. They should look at that other component. There is mania there, and when you have such a situation, the court normally discharges the person. That is my take. This is elementary psychiatry, and I’m a medical doctor.”
Peter Obi, who visited Ngige at his country home in Alor, Idemili South Local Government Area, thanked God for sparing the life of the former governor, while commiserating with the family of the woman who was killed while making a video of the incident.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
I'm dedicated to creating high-quality content that informs, inspires, and delights. If you have any questions or suggestions, don't hesitate to get in touch. Happy reading!
