Gunmen have carried out a deadly ambush on a convoy transporting Chinese expatriates and their police escorts to a mining site in Abia State, leaving at least three people dead, including two Chinese nationals and a police officer.
This was disclosed by a security source, Zagazola on his X page on Saturday.
It was reported that the attack occurred in the early hours of Friday, April 4, near the Huan Cheng Mining Quarry site located at Agukwu Amaya, in the Ndundu community of Isuikwuato Local Government Area, Abia State.
According to security sources, the victims were on their way to the site when the heavily armed attackers struck, opening fire on the convoy.
In the ensuing chaos, Mr. Quan and Mr. Cai, both Chinese workers, were gunned down, alongside Inspector Audu Saidu, an officer attached to the 32 PMF in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
The attackers also made away with Saidu’s service AK-47 rifle.
One of the sources involved in the rescue operation told SaharaReporters: “It was a coordinated ambush. The gunmen struck quickly, killed the two Chinese men and the police officer, and disappeared with his rifle before help could arrive.”
Despite the ferocity of the attack, security operatives managed to rescue three other Chinese nationals, Mr. Roger Tan (60), Mr. Yu Shangyu (56), and Mr Zhan Weibin (59), who escaped unhurt.
Two others, Inspector Uba Ahmed and Mr. Huang Lijun, weren’t so lucky. Both sustained injuries during the attack, Ahmed from gunshots and Lijun from machete wounds. They are currently receiving treatment at Master Energy Hospital in Uturu.
One police officer, Inspector Igagwu, remains unaccounted for. Efforts are ongoing to track his whereabouts, as security operatives comb the surrounding areas for both the missing officer and the gunmen responsible for the carnage.
The bodies of the deceased victims have since been deposited at Marist Cottage Mortuary in Hopeville, Uturu.
When contacted by SaharaReporters, the spokesperson for the Abia State Police Command, Chinaka Chioma, confirmed awareness of the incident and said the command was fully engaged with the matter.
“We are on the matter and I will get back to you after proper findings,” she said.
