Three police officers were, on Friday, killed when gunmen ambushed the advance security team of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State.
The incident occurred at about 1:30 p.m.
Mr Okowa is also the vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
It was gathered that the gunmen attacked the security team – made up of four police officers – in Ihiala, a community in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, south-east Nigeria.
The hoodlums were said to have freed one of the officers who was not in a police uniform during the attack.
Sources said the officers were en route to Abia State, where Mr Okowa was reportedly billed to travel to, for a meeting with some PDP members in the state ahead of the 25 February presidential election.
It was not clear for now if Mr Okowa was travelling with the officers during the attack.
The slain officers were identified as Celestine Nwadiokwu, Jude Obuh and Lucky Aleh, an inspector- all indigenes of Delta State, Nigeria’s south-south.
When contacted on Saturday morning, the police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident.
Mr Ikenga, a deputy superintendent of police, said the victims were officers attached to the Explosives Ordinance Department of the Delta State Police Command and were on an official assignment for the state government.
“The officers came under attack and their vehicle was set ablaze by some yet-to-be-identified armed men,” he said.
The police spokesperson said the police in Anambra State have recovered the bodies of the three slain officers following receipt information about the attack.