•It’s a minor incident-Aide

The convoy of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State was involved in a shootout with gunmen believed to be armed robbers on Wednesday night in the commercial city of Aba.

The gunmen were armed robbers, who were operating at the time the governor’s convoy passed.

It was gathered that the incident, which took place near Abia State Polytechnic along the Aba-Owerri Road at about 8.20pm, occurred while the governor was reportedly returning  to Aba from Umuahia, the state capital after close of  work.

Although the motive of the men of the under-world was not immediately known, a version of the report had it that the gunmen laid ambush on the road and shot sporadically as the governor’s convoy approached.

However, the gunmen were repelled by the security details attached to the governor as they responded swiftly when they heard gunshots ahead of them.

Another version said the gunmen were armed robbers who were robbing a luxury bus, but on sighting a pilot van coming towards their direction without siren and amber light,  they believed they were coming to attack them, hence, they opened fire in the direction of the car.

The source said it was at that point that the security details attached to the governor, returned fire and forced the gunmen to take to their heels, abandoning the people they were robbing along the road.

“The robbers did not know that it was the governor, but when they noticed that they could not withstand the sophistication of the security details, they  took to their heels.

“I don’t think it was the governor that the hoodlums wanted to attack. It is just that the governor’s convoy that was returning from work without the usual siren and the revolving amber light ran into them when they were operating,” a source who pleaded anonymity stated.

When contacted, Abia State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ezekiel Onyeke Udeviotu confirmed the incident, but debunked the insinuations that the gunmen attacked the governor’s convoy.

Udeviotu said he was yet to be fully briefed by the governor’s Chief Security Officer (CSO) over the incident.

The governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Godwin Adindu said: “It’s a minor incident…”