Ebonyi Fed College of Education Provost, others escape death as gunmen attack convoy, two injured
From Chinedu Nwafor, Abakaliki
The Provost, Prof. Okey Reuben Okechukwu.
The Provost of the newly established Federal College of Education, Technical, Isu, near the boundary of Isu Onicha Local Government Area, Prof Okey Reuben Okechukwu, and other staff of the college have been attacked by gunmen near Agba in Ishieleu LGA of the State.
Prof. Okechukwu was in a Mercedes Jeep with registration number: Abj371 TS, it was gathered, was leading a Convoy of about five Vehicles from his office at the temporary site of the college in Isu back to Abakaliki, the state capital, after close of work, when the incident happened.
Also in the car with the Provost was the College Librarian, Mr. Lawal Shuaibu, a police orderly, two Aides to the Provost and the driver.
Witnesses account said that the incident occurred as the motorcade of the Provost was slopping on the Agba bridge where sand sacks were used to block the road, a young unarmed man sprang out, waving down the car, while suddenly a group of gun armed men trooped out from nearby bush and aimed at the cars in the Provost’s convoy.
As the driver attempted to reverse back, they open fire on the provost’s car and the car was swerved into the bush, but the first gun shot hit the Librarian, Mr. Shuabu at back of his neck while the second wounded the driver on the forehead.
While inside the bush, according to an eyewitness, the occupants of the car opened the doors and ran for their lives as another bullet hit Mr. shuabu again at shoulder back and he fall down crawling away.
The driver who find a track road met another group who mobbed him with stones and sticks till sudden arrival of team of police men from Isu division of Nigerian Police who rescued and took him to hospital at Isu.
It was gathered that the second vehicle was a Tundra van Conveying TETFUND Consultants from Abuja who came to oversee bid opening in the College which reverse immediately back to Isu Police Division to alert the police who swung into action and disorganized the assailants.
The third vehicle in the convoy was a Toyota Camry conveying some staff of the college who drove very near to the scene and received a gunshot that blew off one of the front tyres but knock down one of the assailants while reversing back to Isu.
Before the arrival of Police team from Isu and subsequent arrival of the team from the State Command, Abakaliki, the hoodlums had already looted and burnt down the Mercedes Jeep. Fortunately, the police team combed the bushes and rescued the Provost, the librarian and the police orderly while the other two Aides to the Provost escaped through the river to Agba Community from where they were assisted back to Abakaliki.
