Gunmen attack driver conveying The Guardian newspapers to Enugu
A Haulage driver attached to Ugwu and Sons, Mr. Emeka Paul Ofume, yesterday, escaped death in the hands of gunmen who attacked his distribution van.
Ugwu and Sons is one of the haulage companies engaged by The Guardian for distribution of the company’s daily newspapers.
It was gathered that Ofume left Asaba for Enugu on Monday at about 2:00a.m. to deliver copies of The Guardian Newspaper meant for Awka, Nnewi, Enugu and Abakaliki, and was intercepted by gunmen at Dunukofia, in Anambra State, who shot severally at his distribution vehicle.
He was hit severally on his head by pellets of bullets fired by the gunmen while attempting to escape from the scene, and was later rescued by a team of police officers on patrol duty, who conveyed him to a private hospital, where he is currently being treated.
Owner of the Haulage Company, Mr. Vincent Ugwu, who confirmed the attack to The Guardian yesterday, said the police in Anambra State informed him about the incident.
He said the driver left Asaba enroute Enugu after printing.
I got a call from the Enugu office of The Guardian this morning (yesterday morning) that the newspapers that left Asaba by 2:00a.m. had not arrived. So, I started calling the driver, but could not reach his phone. I called the Awka office and they reported the same, and I told them to make further inquiries. After a little while, I got a call from the police that he was attacked and they told me where I should come.
It was the police, who also rescued the newspapers he was conveying and took the same to their office in Awka.
The incident has put fear in my drivers on that route and they are threatening to stop going there.
The development affected supplies meant for Enugu and Abakaliki yesterday as they arrived through public transport by 5:00p.m. and were not distributed.
When contacted, Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, Toochukwu Ikenga, said there is no such report before me yet. I will make an inquiry and get back to you. He, however, was yet to call back at press time.
