Former Anambra State governor, Chris Ngige, has refuted circulating rumours of his death, following a violent attack on his convoy by unknown gunmen.
The incident occurred on Wednesday along the Nkpor–Nnobi Road in Idemili North Local Government Area, leaving one woman dead and Ngige’s police orderly injured after being shot in the leg.
The attackers also stole the officer’s rifle and uniform.
Speaking with journalists on Saturday during a visit by Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to his hometown in Alor, Ngige narrated how the attack unfolded.
He explained that he had dispatched his aides on several errands, including taking one of his vehicles for maintenance, when the convoy was ambushed close to Umuoji.
He said, “As you can see, I am alive; I am not dead, so there should be no panic or fear. They attacked my convoy while my aides were coming back. The assailants, dressed in police and army uniforms, chased after them and began shooting.
“My convoy driver evaded them until they caught up with my police security men, who fought them until their bullets were exhausted. They took my police orderly’s rifle and uniform after shooting him in the leg.”
Ngige noted that the gunmen mocked the policemen by accusing them of working for a “zoo government,” suggesting the attack may have been part of a broader plan to steal arms and uniforms.
He added that he had spoken with the state governor, who assured him that security agents were already trailing the perpetrators.
Ngige warned that such operations carried out by criminals in police uniforms posed a serious security threat, especially with the Christmas season approaching.
Addressing whether the ambush specifically targeted him, Ngige said the attackers might have recognised his convoy, yet he also acknowledged that it could simply have been an opportunistic assault aimed at seizing weapons.
He further reacted to speculations linking the incident to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
He said, “My pilot driver has driven me for 22 years. They may have known it was my convoy. On the other hand, they may not have known; they just saw a convoy with police and decided to attack.
“My take is that Kanu’s case requires a political solution. I discussed it with former President Buhari, and Governor Soludo has expressed willingness to receive Kanu. There is a bizarre psychiatric element, which I believe needs proper evaluation.”
Obi, who visited to sympathise with Ngige, thanked God for sparing his life and extended condolences to the family of the woman who was killed while attempting to record the attack.
