The former governor was said to be returning from a visit alongside two of his children, when the gunmen attacked him.
Gunmen, on Monday, bombed the convoy of a former governor of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim.
The incident happened in Oriagu, a community in Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of the state.
Mr Ohakim escaped the attack, but four police officers attached to his convoy were killed by the gunmen.
The hoodlums razed one of the convoy vehicles when they were unable to capture the former governor, according to a report by the Nation.
He was said to be returning from a visit alongside two of his children, when the gunmen attacked him.
Mr Ohakim served as the governor of the state between 2007 and 2011.
“His Excellency was the main target but his driver was smart enough to beat them because they were trying to block him.
“Disappointed that their main target had escaped, they blocked his backup vehicle and burnt it. The four policemen with him were burnt,” an unnamed source close to the former governor told the Nation.
A reinforcement team of police operatives were said to have arrived the scene from Owerri, the state capital, and accompanied the former governor to his house.
The police spokesperson in the state, Michael Abattam, did not respond to calls and a text message seeking comments from him on the attack.
Worsening insecurity
Like other states in Nigeria’s South-east, security has deteriorated in Imo State with frequent attacks by armed persons.
The attacks often target security agencies, government officials and facilities.
The Nigerian government has accused the outlawed Indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB) of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region. But the group has repeatedly denied their involvement in the attacks.
IPOB is a group leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants carved out from the South-east and some parts of the South-south Nigeria.
THEGUARDIAN
