An advance team from the Office of the Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, was ambushed by unidentified gunmen between Umuowa and Ihite junction, close to the Sam Mbakwe Airport entrance in Imo State.
The three-man team was travelling ahead of the governor’s scheduled movement when the incident occurred.
According to the Abia State Government, Governor Otti’s main convoy was not part of the attack.
Chief Press Secretary Njoku Ukoha confirmed that although the official vehicle was ambushed, no lives were lost.
He assured the public that security agencies had been notified, and investigations were underway to identify those responsible.
In its official statement, the government emphasised that the attack did not involve the governor directly.
“The general public is hereby informed that the convoy of Governor Otti was not involved in this attack, and no lives were lost during the unfortunate incident,” Ukoha said.
The statement also reassured residents and travelers that security measures have been reinforced to protect government personnel and the public in transit.
Security sources told reporters that investigations are focusing on whether the assault was a targeted attack against the governor’s office or part of the normal criminal activity in the area.
Dr. Otti, perhaps, one of Nigeria’s most popular governors, for his transformative governance in Abia State, only on Sunday returned from a trip to the seat of the Sokoto Caliphate where he went to confer with the Sultan.
He used the opportunity to see the incarcerated leader of IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Some of the violent criminal activities in the South East have been linked to renegade members of IPOB unhappy with the regional political class they accuse of abandoning their leader.
The group consistently denies involvement.
The attack on the governor’s advance convoy highlights ongoing security challenges in the region, particularly in Imo State, which had witnessed repeated incidents of violence.
The proximity of the attack to Sam Mbakwe Airport is also another source of concern about the safety of strategic transport hubs in the region.
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