The state Police Public Relations Officer, Tochukwu Ikenga, said this.

Ubah’s convoy was attacked by gunmen in Enugwu-Ukwu, Njikoka Local Government Area of the state on Sunday while returning to his home town, Nnewi.

One of our correspondents however gathered that no arrest had been made.

Apart from the five persons killed, the police spokesperson added that two policemen, who were injured, are currently receiving treatment.

Two policemen and three civilians were killed in the attack while the two injured police officers are currently receiving treatment.

“No arrest has been made yet as we are still exploring every avenue to unravel the perpetrators of the attack. Further details will be communicated as development unfolds,” Ikenga said.

Meanwhile, a source identified some of the victims of the attack, saying, “Senator Ifeanyi Ubah lost his treasurer, Mr Ikechukwu Odum, who is his most trusted aide. He also lost his personal assistant, Mr Goodness Mathias.

“Another man killed, who was not in the convoy of the Senator, was identified as Onowu Agu-Ukwu Nri. He is said to be a titled chief in the neighbouring Nri community and had just driven to Enugwu-Ukwu to drop someone who visited him, who would be travelling to Lagos this morning, and he was unlucky to be at that point at the time when Senator Ubah was attacked.

“He was driving an SUV, so the assassins may have thought he was in the senator’s convoy, and he was gunned down. During the confusion on Sunday, all the cars were just hitting one another. Since the vehicle the senator was driving in was bulletproof, his driver managed to manoeuvre out of the damaged cars and drive away, even as it was being shot at.”

Sources in the community, who do not want their names in print for security purposes, said when the gunmen opened fire on the convoy, police operatives in the convoy responded and some of the policemen were gunned down in the shoot-out.

A source said, “Senator Ifeanyi Ubah was attacked today by some hoodlums in Enugwu-Ukwu. It was a calculated attempt. It wasn’t an impromptu action.

“The policemen were about four in the convoy and they were attacked.

“All their arms were collected. The boys that spearheaded that attack were about nine in number.”

Another source claimed that six policemen were killed in the attack.

Ubah could not be reached for confirmation as of the time of filing this report as his telephone line indicated that it was not reachable.

But a close ally of the senator said, “It was an attempted assassination on the Senator Ifeanyi Ubah. He survived it but there are casualties. Some policemen in his convoy were killed. I just spoke with him. He is okay but he told me there are casualties.”

The spokesperson of the state police command, Toochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident, but insisted that the casualty figure was still unknown.

He said, “The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, Echeng Echeng, has led police operatives to the scene where sporadic shootings took place in Enugwu-Ukwu. “Though details of the incident are still sketchy, operatives are on the ground there as operations are going on and the situation is being monitored. Further details shall be communicated please.”