The convoy of Abia State Governor Theodore Orji was yesterday attacked by gunmen on the way to Port Harcourt International Airport as it was going to pick the governor and his wife, Odochi, who were returning from a trip to the United States.
The attack, which occurred at about 8 am at Ngwa-Iyiekwe in Ugwunagbo Local Government Area of the state along the Port Harcourt- Aba Expressway lasted about 15 minutes and left many of the vehicles in the convoy, including the governor’s official car, riddled with bullets.
THISDAY learnt that the gunmen opened fire on the convoy as the security men attached to the convoy started shooting into the air to scare away robbers, who were operating along the expressway.
The governor’s convoy was said to have run into the robbery operation
One journalist, who was in the convoy, told THISDAY that the armed robbers just waited for all the convoy vehicles to enter within the radius of the robbery operation before they started opening fire on them.
When the smoke cleared, a body of a man ostensibly caught in the crossfire was found at the scene. He was said to be a bus conductor.
Two vehicles including a back-up SUV of the governor were taken away by the gunmen but were later recovered at Ogwe in Ukwa West Local Government Area of the state, where the fleeing gunmen apparently abandoned them.
Some villagers who were said to have rushed into the scene allegedly vandalised the vehicles, carting away cell phones, laptops and video camera belonging to Silver Bird Television.
The state government said the attack was an assassination attempt on the governor.
Orji, who later at arrived the scene of the gun battle with his wife and some personal aides with reinforced security, insisted that he was the prime target of the armed men, adding that it was not a coincidental attack.

source: http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=117623

If Governors with all their entourage and security are not safe anymore, l wonder who is safe.

bilymuse:

If Governors with all their entourage and security are not safe anymore, l wonder who is safe.

If the attorney-general of the federation can be assassinated, and "no show", then we're yet to see the worst of Nigeria's worsening security problem.

state police? Might actuallybe a good idea