Gunmen have attacked Chinedu Awo, the representative of Ohaukwu North Constituency in Ebonyi State House of Assembly.
The Spokesperson of the Police Command in the state, DSP Loveth Odah, confirmed this to newsmen in Abakaliki.
Odah said 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 on Sunday to his hometown, Effium Community in Ohaukwu local Government Area of the state.
NAN recalls that Effium community had been on communal crisis since January 2021.
The State Governor, David Umahi, 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 November 3 in the area.
The workers have not been seen since then.
According to the Police Spokesperson, on November 28, 2021, at about 1:40pm, Awo and the police operatives were returning from investigation activities in connection with the three missing engineers.
Odah said: “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 that the Commissioner of Police in Ebonyi State, Aliyu Garba, had led a team on reinforcement at the scene.
She said: “They have cordoned the forest and searched the village but could not see the missing officers nor the perpetrators.
“Efforts are in top gear to ensure the perpetrators are tracked down and arrested.”
