At least  person was reportedly killed while the Chairman of Ikwerre LGA of Rivers State, Samuel Nwanosike, narrowly escaped death on Wednesday as gunmen attacked a rally organised by some chieftains of the People Democratic Party, PDP, in Ipo community.

It was learnt that some supporters of the PDP sustained various degrees of injuries as they tried to escape being hit by the bullets of the gunmen, who disrupted the ward-to-ward sensitisation on Permanent Voter Cards of the party.

CEOAfrica also gathered that the gunmen numbering over 25 had invaded the venue of the event and began to shoot indiscriminately, forcing supporters to scamper for safety.

A source, who preferred anonymity for the purpose of personal security, said the gunmen vandalised many cars parked close to the venue of the sensitisation programme.

The source explained that Nwanosike and a few others were able to escape by the whisker because they drove in a bullet-proof vehicle.

“At the peak of the PDP event in Ipo, gunmen entered and opened fire. Our leaders narrowly escaped assassination.

“All the leaders of the APC in the LGA engaged one man known as School Boy, who was declared wanted by the state government, to attack us.

“They attacked us around 2pm. They killed one of our members. We have informed the security agencies of the threats and signal we received and it has happened.”

“The boys numbering over 30 chased out leaders who were in a bullet-proof car and they shot many bullets at the car. They escaped because the vehicle is bulletproof,” the source said.

However, the Rivers State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Darlington Orji, accused the All Progressives Congress in the state of being behind the Wednesday’s attack on his party’s sensitisation programme.

“Precisely, on the 5th of November at ward two Isiokpo, the Chairman of Ikwerre LGA, Samuel Nwanosike, made it open that there was a meeting going on at Afrique Hotel.