Gunmen have attacked the former governor of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim, and bombed the vehicle conveying four of his police orderlies.
Gatekeepers News reports that although Ohakim escaped death by the whiskers, his police orderlies and the driver of their vehicle lost their lives to the attack.
He was attacked at Oriagu in the Ehime Mbano Local Government Area on Monday evening.
The former governor (2007-2011) was with two of his children and was returning from a visit when the gunmen struck.
A source said, “His Excellency was the main target but his brave driver was smart enough to beat them because they were driving to block him.
“Disappointed that their main target had escaped, they blocked his backup vehicle and burnt it. The four policemen with him were feared killed.”
While narrating the attack, the former governor said, “We were driving between Isiala Mbano and Ehime Mbano. These people blocked us at a place called Umualumaku.
“They attacked us from behind and were firing at our vehicles consistently. I thought I was a dead man and I was with two of my children – my son and daughter.
“What saved me was the bulletproof vehicle. That I am alive today is by the special grace of God and the bulletproof vehicle.”
He spoke further, “…we lost four of the boys and I am devastated. How can that be? What crime did they commit?”
Ohakim further explained how the gunmen pursued them and continued firing at the tyres “on which you can continue driving even after a puncture. So, even when they shot at the tyres hoping to immobilise us, the vehicle continued moving. If they were ordinary tyres and the vehicle had stopped, they would cornered and finished us.
“But the tyres held on until we got back home. That was the saving grace.”
