Chris Ngige Escapes With His Life In Anambra, As Gunmen Shoot Police Escort, Attack Convoy

The convoy of former Anambra State Governor Chris Ngige came under fire on the Nkpor–Nnobi Road in Idemili North, prompting renewed concerns over security in the state and the targeting of high-profile political figures.

Although Ngige was not in the convoy during the attack, the incident has drawn significant attention after confirmations by both eyewitnesses and the police suggested a coordinated and brazen assault.

According to Ngige’s former media aide, Fred Chukwuelobe, the former governor narrowly avoided the attack as he was not travelling with the team.

The assailants, described by witnesses as men dressed in police and army uniforms, opened fire on the pilot vehicle, injuring a police officer and stripping him of his gun and uniform.

A lady recording the attack was fatally shot, while a shop owner who ran out to observe the commotion suffered gunshot wounds and is expected to undergo surgery.

The pilot vehicle, witnesses said, was riddled with bullets.

According to the PUNCH, an eyewitness explained, “No policeman was killed, and the escort leader who was shot has been operated upon and is expected to make a full recovery. The shop owner was lucky as the bullets didn’t lodge in his spine.”

The Anambra State Police Command has now officially confirmed the attack and its link to Ngige’s police convoy.

The Command spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, announced that officers had launched a state-wide manhunt for the fleeing assailants and revealed that a vehicle snatched by the attackers had been recovered.

Ikenga said, “The Anambra State Police Command wishes to inform the general public that a white Mercedes-Benz SUV, earlier snatched by armed criminals, has been successfully recovered following a coordinated police response during a pursuit operation.”

He added that multiple tactical units —including operatives from the Operations Department Awka, the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) Akwuzu, and the Special Anti-Cultism Unit (SPACS) Enugu-Ukwu —joined in the chase and exchanged gunfire with the assailants.

A statement from the police further noted, “The convoy swiftly aligned with the pursuing operatives and engaged the hoodlums in a gun duel, forcing the criminals to abandon the snatched white Mercedes-Benz SUV and flee the scene under intense pressure. Meanwhile, one police operative who sustained a minor gunshot injury is stable and currently receiving treatment at a medical facility.

“Preliminary information indicates that the officers in the convoy are attached to Senator Chris Ngige, former Governor of Anambra State and former Minister of Labour and Employment.

“The recovered vehicle has been secured and taken into police custody for further investigation, as operatives intensify a coordinated state-wide manhunt for the fleeing armed hoodlums.”

The incident, believed to be one of the most daring attacks on a former governor’s convoy in recent years, has heightened calls for strengthened security measures across Anambra State.