Suspected gunmen opened fire on the convoy of former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, on Friday as he arrived to register with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in his hometown of Ubima, Ikwerre Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State.
Witnesses said bursts of gunfire rang out in parts of the community as the former minister’s convoy approached the venue of the registration exercise, sending residents and supporters who had gathered for the event scrambling for safety.
Security operatives later moved into the area and restored calm, preventing further disruption to the gathering.
Despite the incident, Amaechi proceeded with the registration and later addressed supporters in the community.
The Rivers State Police Command had not issued an official response to the incident at the time of reporting.
Speaking after the event, Amaechi condemned the attack but praised the swift response of security agencies, saying their intervention helped stabilise the situation.
He said officers from the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) responded promptly after he contacted them.
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“I want to commend the Commissioner of Police and the Director of the DSS for their cooperation. They showed a lot of professionalism. Immediately I made contact with them, they responded,” Amaechi said.
He added that operatives of the police, the civil defence corps and the DSS all deployed personnel to the area.
However, the former governor insisted that those behind the shooting must be identified and prosecuted to prevent a repeat of the incident.
“They must show that this will not continue by prosecuting those involved in this crime,” he said, warning that a failure to protect citizens could push people to attempt to defend themselves.
Amaechi also urged supporters and residents to remain calm and avoid actions that could heighten tensions in the community.
During his remarks, the former minister criticised the country’s economic conditions, saying worsening hardship had left many Nigerians struggling.
“We are hungry,” he said, arguing that citizens were increasingly demanding accountability from those in power.
Amaechi also called on supporters of the ADC to register in large numbers ahead of the 2027 general elections, saying the party’s strength would depend on the size of its membership.
He further challenged the current administration to present measurable achievements comparable to projects undertaken during his tenure as transport minister.