Commissioner, two others escape as gunmen attack Imo APC leaders
Imo Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Simon Ebegbulem and two other leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday evening escaped death after gunmen ambushed their convoy in a remote village.
It was learnt that the incident occurred around 6:30pm at Alike close to Okata Community in Ihitte-Uboma Local Government Council (LGA) while the trio were returning from a rally.
The attack, which occurred barely 48 hours to the Presidential and National Assembly elections, is suspected to have been politically motivated.
The two other APC leaders who were caught up in the near-death encounter were identified as lawmaker representing Okigwe South, Deacon Chike Okafor, and the Managing Director, Imo State Waste Management Agency, Kelechi Emeakaroha.
According to sources, the gunmen ambushed their vehicles while they were returning to Owerri, the state capital after attending a rally at Umuawuchi village, the hometown of another APC federal lawmaker, Chike Olemgbe.
The gunmen were said to opened fire on their vehicles, riddling them with bullets.
All the occupants in the affected vehicles were however said to have escaped by the whiskers.
When contacted, Ebegbulem confirmed the attack on them and urged security agencies to investigate with a view to bringing the culprits to Justice.
Imo Police Command spokesman, Henry Okoye, confirmed that he was aware of the incident but declined further comments
