From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Former governor of Imo State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim still in shock how he narrowly escaped from gunmen that attacked his convoy on Monday at Oriagu,Ehime Mbano has maintained that they were on a mission to assassinate him.
Although four of his police orderlies including a driver was said to have lost their lives in the attack but the former governor and his two children who were with him during the incident were fortunate.
Ohakim has also attributed his being alive to his bulletproof car.
According to him,after his attackers rained bullet on his vehicle and tyre,they kept on moving.
Meanwhile, contrary to widely believe of some people that the attack may have been perpetuated by members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB),Ohakim differed from the thought saying rather that his attackers are more professional.
Narrating how it all happened, he said “We were driving between Isiala Mbano and Ehime Mbano. These people blocked us at a place called Umualumaku.
“They attacked us from behind and were firing at our vehicles consistently. I thought I was a dead man and I was with two of my children – my son and daughter.
“What saved me was the bulletproof vehicle. That I am alive today is by the special grace of God and the bulletproof vehicle.
“But unfortunately for me they killed four of our boys, including the driver. Yes, we lost four of the boys and I am devastated. How can that be? What crime did they commit?” Ohakim lamented.
He said even when his own driver managed to escape from the scene, the assailants pursued his vehicle.
“They pursued us and continued firing at our tyres. Luckily, the vehicle has what is called run- on flat tyres on which you can continue driving even after a puncture. So, even when they shot at the tyres hoping to immobilise us, the vehicle continued moving. If they were ordinary tyres and the vehicle had stopped, they would cornered and finished us.
“But the tyres held on until we got back home. We drove for about 20 minutes before we got home. That was the saving grace.”
“The driver who manifested tremendous level of driving skill kept manoeuvring until he lost them at a junction when he went right and not knowing where we had gone, they headed the other direction on the road to Umuahia.
“We then turned and went back to my house. We were there when Imo Government House sent reinforcement from Owerri who brought the corpses of my security people.” He said.
On his view about the attackers ,he said “This goes beyond the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), I must say. These are professionals, well-trained. They are not ordinary people. They were driving a blue colour BMW 5-series car, brand new. They came to kill me.”
