Over 60 gunmen have attacked an Ebonyi State lawmaker, Hon. Chinedu Awo, who represents Ohaukwu North constituency in state’s House of Assembly.
Two policemen were abducted in the process.
Confirming the incident, spokesperson of the Police Command in the state, DSP Loveth Odah, told journalists, in Abakaliki, on Monday, that two police personnel were also abducted during the attack.
The policemen were in the company of the lawmaker, who was on his way to his hometown, Effium community in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state.
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Effium community had been in communal crisis since January 2021.
Governor David Umahi had, on November 26, placed on hold the construction work on the Effium axis of the Abakaliki ring road project.
The governor’s order followed the abduction of five construction workers by suspected kidnappers on Nov. 3 in the area. The workers have not been seen since then.
According to the police spokesperson, on on Sunday, “At about 1340hrs, Awo accompanied by Police operatives was returning from investigation activities in connection with the three missing engineers, abducted in the area on November 3.
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“Awo accompanied the operatives to enable him to dialogue with the warriors at Igbuduoke village in Effium/Ezza clan ‘the warring community’ in Ohaukwu Local Government Area; they were ambushed by armed Ezza warriors numbering over 60.
“The operatives gallantry fought back, resulting in heavy casualties on the side of the attackers.
“However, DSP Bruno Chukwu and two others sustained bullet wounds and are currently in hospital responding to treatment.
“The two Police officers by name: Sergeant Donatus Osugwu, and Sergeant Thaddeus Ugoeze, are suspected to have been abducted by the hoodlums,” Odah explained.