APGA Reps aspirant, Anambra LG chair trade blame over gunshot incident

An aspirant for the House of Representatives under the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Dr Ifeanyi Ibezi, was on Sunday attacked by thugs over a stakeholders meeting at Agbaja, Abatete, Idemili North LGA of Anambra State, leaving two of his security aides with gunshot injuries.

Ibezi, who seeks to represent Idemili North and South Federal Constituency, said the incident occurred at a community civic centre where he had scheduled a stakeholders’ meeting as part of his consultations ahead of the next general elections.

Addressing journalists at the scene on Sunday, the former Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Tertiary Education and former member representing Idemili North/South Federal Constituency, alleged an assassination attempt on his life.

He said the injured security operatives, who were rushed to the hospital, were undergoing surgery, alleging that the thugs loyal to the Chairman, Idemili North LGA, Chief Stanley Nkwoka, attacked the stakeholders’ meeting in the early hours of Sunday.

He said, “Two of my security men were shot and wounded. They have been taken to the hospital and are currently in the theatre.

“All arrangements had been concluded for the meeting when I received a purported letter on Saturday, allegedly issued by the Chairman of Idemili North Local Government Area, barring us from using the venue.

“The letter was circulated on social media and was neither formally delivered to me nor verified through official channels.”

He said he subsequently forwarded both the letter and his rebuttal to relevant authorities, including the state governor and party leadership.

“I wrote to stakeholders of Idemili North and South for a meeting today to discuss my aspiration to return to the House of Representatives. Everything was in place until I saw a purported letter on WhatsApp claiming I could not use the facility.

“Despite the development, preparations continued until early Sunday morning when I was alerted that armed personnel had taken over the venue.

“By about 6 am, I got a call that a contingent of armed men had cordoned off the premises. When I arrived, I was confronted by security operatives and local vigilantes who said they were acting on the instructions of the local government chairman to stop the event.

“One of the operatives threatened me with a firearm, warning me against proceeding with the meeting. The situation escalated as the armed men began firing shots into the air for over an hour, causing panic in the area.

“I immediately contacted the State Director of the Department of State Services, the Commissioner of Police, and other relevant authorities, including the governor. While I was on the phone, the shooting continued.

“The shooting later turned violent, resulting in two security officers attached to me being hit by bullets. It was in the course of the shooting that two of my policemen were shot. We have video evidence of everything that happened,” he added.

The aspirant also alleged that some of the armed men issued threats to his life, but he instructed his team not to retaliate in order to avoid further escalation.

“I told my men to remain calm, not to respond or engage them. I am a law-abiding citizen and will not take the law into my hands. As of this morning, I have not been able to reach the LG chairman, and he has not returned my calls. The governor is aware and is making efforts to reach him,” Ibezi added.

Reacting to the allegations when contacted on Sunday, the Chairman of Idemili North Local Government Area, Stanley Nkwoka, warned that acts of rascality and thuggery will no longer be tolerated in the council area.

Nkwoka said he was shown a letter indicating that Ibezi planned to hold a stakeholders’ meeting in Abaja-Abatete to discuss the political future of the constituency.

According to him, he contacted Ibezi and advised him to postpone the meeting to allow for adequate security arrangements, but the aspirant declined.

He said, “We cannot continue to tolerate rascality and thuggery in Idemili North. We must end this culture and restore order. Everyone must obey the law and respect government rules.

“When you plan a stakeholders’ meeting to decide the fate of Idemili North and South, and you choose to hold it in my town without proper security, it is wrong. As the chairman and chief security officer of the LGA, I am the first person to be held accountable in the event of any breach. I asked him to reschedule so we could put security measures in place, but he refused. As a result, I ordered the building sealed.

“Ibezi has no legal right to enter a government-sealed building, especially with individuals, thugs and persons allegedly posing as police officers.

“There is a standing directive that police should not escort private individuals. I do not know how he obtained police personnel. He attempted to force his way into the sealed building, which led to a confrontation with security operatives.

“During the struggle, a gun was discharged, and someone was injured in the leg. No one can clearly state who fired the shot.”

Nkwoka accused Ibezi of using intimidation tactics, stating that such behaviour failed on this occasion. He also alleged that those accompanying the aspirant were not legitimate security personnel.

“A building sealed by the authorities cannot be accessed without proper clearance. Instead of contacting me to resolve the issue, he resorted to confrontation. He allegedly instructed his supporters to attack security personnel on lawful duty,” he said.

The LG chairman stated that he was not present at the scene and maintained that Ibezi should have sought clarification rather than escalating the situation.

Nkwoka insisted that he remains neutral and cannot endorse any aspirant.

“As the LG chairman, I must remain impartial. All aspirants are like my children politically. I can advise, but I cannot support one over another. Doing so would create unnecessary enmity. The best candidate should emerge,” he said.

He addressed claims that he was supporting another aspirant, stating that his past political roles should not be misinterpreted.

“I coordinated Ibezi’s campaign in 2019, when he won, and also worked with Ike Cubana in 2023. That does not imply wrongdoing. However, as mayor, I can no longer coordinate for anyone,” he clarified.

Nkwoka accused Ibezi of disregarding due process, alleging that the aspirant had previously held unauthorised meetings and failed to notify security agencies about the planned gathering.

“If you intend to hold a public meeting of that scale, you must inform the police, DSS, and local authorities to ensure proper security. Inviting thousands of people without such arrangements is irresponsible,” he said.

He added that the gunshot incident was not a targeted attack but occurred during a struggle.