By Tony Adibe
Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, who represents Anambra South on the platform of YPP, on Monday confirmed the death of some of his personal and security aides during Sunday attack on his convoy, one them, his personal treasurer.
According to sources, the identities of those killed have been disclosed on Monday, indicating that about 10 persons lost their lives.
NewsBits recalls that Ubah’s convoy was attacked around Nkwo Enugwu Ukwu Market axis of Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra on its way to Nnewi his country home on Sunday night. It was learnt that the gunmen opened fire on the convoy and left many members of the convoy dead including other persons near the scene at the time.
But Senator Ubah, who briefed journalists on the incident in Awka on Monday, said the assassins killed one Obum Ikechukwu and Goodness Mathias. One of the victims had served as the senator’s personal treasurer.
Ubah also stated that some of his security aides from the Police and Department of State Services (DSS) were also killed in during the attack.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Anambra State Command, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga confirmed the incident but did not give the figure of the victims. Ikenga said: “The Commissioner of Police, Mr Echeng Echeng visited the scene and there were blood stains at the place indicative of the fact that the attack was bloody, but to give the number I cannot say anything on that.’’
However, some eyewitnesses said about 10 persons were said to have died in the attack on the senator’s convoy Sunday evening – an attack which was suspected to be an assassination attempt.
According to sources, “Senator Ubah lost his personal treasurer, Mr Ikechukwu Odum who is his most trusted aide. He also lost his personal assistant, Mr Goodness Mathias.
“Another man killed, who was not in the convoy of the Senator was identified as Onowu Agu-Ukwu Nri. He is said to be a titled chief in neighbouring Nri community and had just driven to Enugwu-Ukwu to drop someone who visited him, who would be traveling to Lagos this morning, and he was unlucky to be at that point at the time when Senator Ubah and his aides were attacked.
“He was driving a big SUV, so the assassins may have thought he was in the same convoy with the senator, and he was gunned down.”
Other people identified to have been killed were six security personnel comprising DSS and Mobile Policemen who were riding in the convoy of the Senator, and a driver, who was said to be driving one of Ubah’s cars.
The sources further said: “In the confusion yesterday, all the cars were just hitting each other. Since the vehicle the senator was driving in was a bullet proof car, his driver managed to manoeuver out of the damaged cars and drove away, even as the vehicle was being shot at.”
