The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Enugu State, Mr Frank Nweke Jr has described Sunday’s gun attack of Anambra South Senator, Ifeanyi Ubah as horrific and worrisome.
The Young Progressive Party’s Senator was attacked at Enugwu-Ukwu, in the Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State. While the Senator survived and has emerged from hiding, many of his aides and police escorts were not that lucky, as they were shot dead by the assailants.
The APGA governorship candidate for next year’s election said he “received with horror the news of the attack on Senator Ifeanyi Uba’s convoy in Anambra State. I thank God for sparing the life of Sen. Uba and deeply commiserate with him and the families of his aides and the security agents who sadly, lost their lives”.
Nweke Jr. further said: “These incessant reports of violence are beyond worrisome as the lives of Nigerians are lost daily, brutally cutting short their hopes, leaving families in sorrow and many, without breadwinners. No one can pretend to have a cloak of safety considering the breaches in our security and the breakdown in law and order.
“We cannot continue this way, where threats and violent attacks are used to settle scores of any kind. This poses a clear and present danger to our democracy, especially in an election year.
“The upsurge in political awareness and participation as more people demand accountable, credible and transparent leadership should not be stifled with fear and uncertainty.
“I call on our security operatives and other relevant authorities to ensure that the perpetrators are all brought to justice and more resolute steps are taken to resolve the security challenges in the country and more specifically, in the Southeast.
“There must be clear and concerted efforts to restore confidence in the populace and in our democracy. People must be assured that they can go about their daily activities without worry and that the elections will take place in a safe atmosphere.
“I believe that our security agencies are aware of the grave danger we face and as such, will deploy all necessary action to bring the guilty to book and prevent further attacks”.
Ubah’s media assistant, Kameh Ogbonna said his principal was saved from possible death because he rode in a bullet proof vehicle.
“If not for the bullet proof jeep the Senator was ridding in, he would have been dead by now.
“We were passing Enugwu Ukwu junction when they hit us from all sides and, as I speak with you Obum, the special aide to the senator is dead.
“About seven security operatives were hit by the assassins bullet”, Ogbonna recalled.
The incident which took place in Enugwu Ukwu community, Njikoka Local Government Area of the state, claimed the lives of some persons in the convoy, while Ubah narrowly escaped the bullets of the suspected assassins.
Police Public Relations Officer in Anambra Command, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga confirmed the attack to the News Agency of Nigeria in Awka on Sunday, describing the incident as unfortunate and sad.
He said that the Commissioner of Police, Mr Echeng Echeng had already led operatives to the scene of the attack around Nkwo Enugwu Ukwu market area.
