Imo governorship candidate Lucky Achonu narrowly avoids death after armed assailants attack his convoy.

Just five days prior to the Imo State governorship elections scheduled for November 11th, Senator Athan Achonu, the Labour Party’s gubernatorial candidate, reportedly encountered an attack while on his way to St Peter’s Anglican Church in Obibiezena, Owerri North Local Government Area. He had been invited to attend the church’s synod.

According to reports, Achonu’s convoy came across a roadblock where some thugs had set up an ambush. The roadblock included an Armored Personnel Carrier (APC), a Sienna vehicle branded with the All Progressive Congress (APC) logo, and a Hilux truck.

In a statement issued by Chibuikem Diala, the Director of Media and Publicity for Senator Athan Achonu Campaign Organization, it was revealed that a potentially tragic incident was narrowly averted. The convoy of the Labour Party candidate for the upcoming governorship election in Imo State managed to escape a dangerous situation.

The statement explained that a police officer named Oladimeji, who was part of the Tiger Base Police Squad in Owerri, led a group of policemen and armed Ebubeagu security operatives. As the convoy approached the roadblock, the police officers in the Armored Personnel Carrier began firing shots at the convoy. Fortunately, the bullets missed the Wrangler SUV by a narrow margin but struck the driver’s window of one of the bulletproof Lexus SUVs in the convoy. While this incident could have resulted in casualties, the bulletproof nature of the vehicle prevented harm.

The situation escalated as the police officers continued to shoot in broad daylight. Despite attempts by the Police Commissioner to communicate with Officer Oladimeji over the phone, the officer refused to comply, insisting that Achonu should not pass because Governor Uzodinma was expected to use that route.

A young man identified as ‘Takpe,’ supported by the police, also threatened to damage all the vehicles if the convoy did not turn back, causing panic among the women in the convoy. To avoid further confrontation, the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security personnel accompanying Senator Achonu showed restraint and safely moved the candidate and his team.

The statement expressed concern about the compromised state of the police force and called for an immediate investigation into the actions of those involved, including Officer Oladimeji and the state’s Commissioner of Police. It demanded the arrest and accountability of the individual ‘Takpe’ featured in the viral video. Additionally, it called for the immediate reassignment of compromised officers to prevent potential crises and emphasized that the Labour Party and its candidate, Senator Athan Achonu, along with democracy supporters in Imo State, could not be intimidated.

The statement appealed to President Bola Tinubu, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, the Chief of Army Staff, the Head of the Department of State Services (DSS), and other relevant security agencies to address the security situation in Imo State to prevent violence during and after the upcoming election.