Imo Governorship Candidate escapes attack as thugs allegedly open fire on convoy

Just five days before the November 11 governorship elections in Imo State, the Labour Party’s governorship candidate, Senator Athan Achonu, reportedly faced an attack in the state.

Achonu’s convoy was targeted on its way to St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Obibiezena, Owerri North Local Government Area, where he had been invited to attend the church’s synod.

Reports suggest that his convoy encountered an ambush set up by some thugs. They had blocked the road with an Armored Personnel Carrier (APC), an All Progressive Congress-branded Sienna, and a Hilux truck.

In a statement released by Chibuikem Diala, the Director of Media and Publicity for the Senator Athan Achonu Campaign Organisation in Owerri, the incident was described as a close call for tragedy.

According to the statement, “One Oladimeji, a police officer attached to the Tiger Base Police Squad, Owerri, led a team of rough-looking policemen and gun-wielding Ebubeagu security operatives.”

As the convoy approached the roadblock, police officers in the Armored Personnel Carrier reportedly began firing at them. Fortunately, they missed the Wrangler SUV by a narrow margin, although they did hit the driver’s window of one of the bulletproof Lexus SUVs in the convoy. The bulletproof nature of the vehicle prevented casualties.

The release further stated that the police officers continued to fire sporadically, even after the Police Commissioner had a conversation with police officer Oladimeji over the phone. The officer refused to listen, citing the upcoming arrival of Governor Uzodinma.

A young man identified as ‘TAKPE,’ with police backing, allegedly threatened the convoy to turn back, vowing to “destroy all the cars.” This caused panic among the women in the convoy.

To avoid a further confrontation, the DSS and other accompanying security officers exercised restraint and moved Senator Achonu and his team to safety.

The statement also raised concerns about the level of influence that Governor Uzodinma had over the state police and the state’s Commissioner of Police.

The Senator Athan Achonu Campaign Organisation demanded an urgent investigation into the actions of the involved culprits, including Officer Ola, and the state Commissioner of Police. They called for the arrest and prosecution of the chief thug ‘Takpe’ seen in a viral video.

The organization also demanded the immediate transfer of all compromised officers to prevent potential crises during the election.

They stressed their commitment to democracy and called on various authorities, including President Bola Tinubu, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, the Chief of Army Staff, and the Head of the Department of State Services, to address the security situation in Imo State to prevent violence during and after the election.