Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, escaped unhurt after unidentified gunmen opened fire on his advance team in the early hours of Tuesday, December 2, 2025, along the Umuowa–Ihite axis in Imo State.
The three-member team was travelling ahead of the governor to the Sam Mbakwe Cargo Airport, Owerri, when the attackers struck shortly before the airport junction. Sources said the gunmen emerged from a bushy section of the road and fired sporadically at the vehicle, which was clearly marked as part of the governor’s convoy.
In a statement electronically signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Ukoha Njoku Ukoha, the Abia Government clarified that Governor Otti’s main convoy was not involved in the incident and was nowhere near the location at the time.
“The convoy of His Excellency, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, was not attacked. No member of the advance team or any other person sustained injury, and no life was lost,” the statement stressed, urging the public to disregard rumours suggesting otherwise.
Security agencies have been notified, and investigations are underway to identify and apprehend the assailants.
