Suspected gunmen dressed in police and military uniforms ambushed the convoy of former Anambra State Governor and ex-Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, on Wednesday along the Nkpor–Nnobi Road in Idemili North Local Government Area, resulting in one fatality and two injuries.
Eyewitness accounts and preliminary investigations indicate the attack targeted the convoy’s pilot vehicle as it returned from a mechanic workshop in Nkpor toward Alor, Ngige’s hometown.

The assailants opened fire indiscriminately, killing a woman who was filming the incident with her mobile phone and wounding a police officer in the pilot car. They also carted away the officer’s rifle and uniform before fleeing the scene. The pilot vehicle was left riddled with bullets.

A local shop owner, who emerged to witness the chaos, was struck by stray bullets, sustaining severe injuries and significant blood loss. He underwent surgery to remove bullet fragments and is now in stable condition at a nearby medical facility. The injured police officer, identified as the escort leader, has also received surgical treatment and is expected to make a full recovery.

Dr. Ngige was not present in the convoy at the time of the assault. In a statement released by his former press secretary, Mr. Fred Chukwuelobe, Ngige confirmed the incident and vowed justice. “I was not in the convoy. I’m still alive and well.

Those hoodlums have started again. I came to my state to relax, but what happened is unfortunate. I will go back to Abuja. But I assure those who did this, they will not go unpunished,” he said. Ngige also pledged comprehensive medical support for the victims and extended condolences to the family of the deceased woman.

The Anambra State Police Command, through spokesperson DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the attack in a statement on Thursday, noting that the officers involved were attached to Ngige’s security detail. Police operatives swiftly pursued the gunmen, recovering a white Mercedes-Benz SUV snatched during the incident. The vehicle has been impounded for further investigation as part of a statewide manhunt for the perpetrators. “Further developments will be communicated,” Ikenga added.

This incident underscores the escalating insecurity in Anambra and the Southeast region, where political convoys have increasingly become targets. Similar attacks have claimed lives in the past, including the 2022 assault on Senator Ifeanyi Ubah’s convoy and the abduction and killing of lawmaker Okechukwu Okoye.

Authorities urge residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities. Investigations are ongoing.