Gunmen attack convoy of PDP house of reps candidate in Enugu, burn driver to death

The convoy of Oforchukwu Egbo, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), house of representatives candidate for Enugu north/south federal constituency, was on Wednesday, attacked by gunmen.

The incident was said to have occurred at Eke-Otu in Amechi Awkunanaw in Enugu south LGA  of the state.

The assailants reportedly burnt one of the drivers in the convoy to death. 

The development comes hours after gunmen killed Oyibo Chukwu, the candidate of the Labour Party (LP) for Enugu east senatorial district.

Daniel Ndukwe, the police spokesperson in Enugu, confirmed the attack in a statement shared with TheCable on Thursday. 

“The Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, CP Ahmed Ammani, fdc, has ordered the intensification of the discreet investigations and manhunt of the subversive criminal elements, suspected to be IPOB/ESN renegades, who in the night hours of 22/02/2023 at different locations, ambushed and simultaneously attacked and murdered People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) members, and also attempted to attack the convoy of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Governorship Candidate. The Commissioner stated this after visiting the scenes of the incidents the same night at Topland by Ebony Paint Road and Eke-Otu both in Amechi-Awkunanaw, Enugu,” the statement reads.

“The Commissioner, while strongly condemning the barbaric acts, has commiserated with the Parties and family members of the deceased, vowing to ensure that the perpetrators are fished out and made to face the full wrath of the law. He, therefore, reaffirms the undiluted commitment of the Police and other Security Agencies to emplace adequate security for peaceful and credible elections in the State, while urging the citizens not to succumb to the cowardly antics of the hoodlums, which is aimed at creating fear and to disrupt the electoral process.

“Meanwhile, preliminary investigations into the incidents show that the armed hoodlums, operating in a tricycle, attacked a PDP campaign Mini Bus at Topland by Ebony Paint Road, Amechi-Awkunanaw Enugu and used a petrol bomb to set it ablaze, burning to death its driver, simply identified as one KC Great (male).

“In a similar fashion, another set of the same armed assailants, operating in a Hilux vehicle, attacked and set ablaze the campaign vehicle of the Labour Party, at Eke-Otu Amechi-Awkunanaw Enugu, burning to death the Party’s Senatorial Candidate for Enugu East Senatorial District, Barr. Oyibo Chukwu (male) and his Personal Assistant (male) were with him in the vehicle. However, the miscreants were repelled by Security Operatives while attempting to also attack the convoy of the Governorship Candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) at Eke, Agbani, Nkanu West LGA.”

The police spokesperson added that normalcy has been restored in the affected areas.