The DG of Movement of Biafrans in Nigeria, MOBIN, Mrs Eberechukwu Anigbogu, 2nd from right, reading an address at a press briefing to protest what they called mutilation of delegates list by the UPP hierarchy, Aug 17, 2017, in Awka.
The Movement for Biafrans in Nigeria, MOBIN, has accused the Chekwas Okorie-led United Progressive Party, UPP, of changing the delegates list for the primary of the party in order to favour a certain interest. This is just as one of the two governorship aspirants of the party, Hon Chudi Offodile, called on the party to stick to due process by adhering to the guidelines and constitution of the party in all its activities.
Addressing newsmen in Awka last Thursday ahead of the party’s primary election slated for Saturday, August 19, in his office, Offodile described as illegal, the alteration of the delegates list of the party, insisting that no organ of the party could unilaterally remove a ward chairman, secretary or indeed, any officer duly elected, and engage in what he called whimsical replacements.
It will be recalled that the Anambra State Chapter of the UPP had recently announced the suspension of its two guber aspirants, Offodile and Osita Chidoka, on trumped up charges, a development that was followed by the dissolution of the state executive committee of UPP by the national headquarters of the party.
But Offodile said such action reminded one about happenings in the military era, describing the action of the national headquarters as beyond its powers.
‘If the action of the state executive was curious, equally curious was the reaction of the national headquarters. Why dissolve a state executive committee four days to a primary election in which the state executive committee has crucial roles to play? Offodile queried.
He said that it was the threat by the national headquarters that triggered what he called the indiscriminate and bizarre suspensions unleashed by the state exco on August 15, even as he referred to an interim order by an FCT High Court which directed the defendants to follow the party’s timetable/guidelines and constitution in all their activities, pending the hearing and determination of the originating motion.
He gave the issues at stake as whether elected and inaugurated members of the local government and ward committees could be unilaterally amended or altered by any member of the party outside the local government area congress and ward congress that elected them; as well as whether any member or any other person of the party, other than the state chairman, could preside over the state congress for the governorship election in line with Article 12 (11) and (35) and Article 23 (3) of the party constitution.
He said that the two issues must be resolved in order to preserve and protect the integrity of the party’s primary election, especially following the court order for the adherence of the party to due process.
But reacting to developments in the party, MOBIN which says it is an affiliate of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, under the leadership of Committee of Elders, stated that it had become necessary for it to address the public on its quest for the self-determination of the Biafran people through due process of the law, which, it pointed out, included political, diplomatic and judicial processes.
Speaking through its director general, Mrs Eberechukwu Anigbogu, MOBIN said it had consequently reached an agreement with the national leadership of UPP to form a partnership for building the party as a Biafran brand.
On the trending matter in the party, MOBIN said it was against established democratic norms, while condemning what it called the fragrant violations and bizarre abuses perpetrated by the leadership of the UPP at national level, as led by Chief Chekwas Okorie.
It said the UPP national leadership instead of ratifying the delegates’ list for conducting the Anambra State governorship primaries, chose to sit in its Abuja national secretariat to mutilate the list by adding and removing names, re-designating several elected officials, with the single aim of deciding for their nefarious purpose, those who should be the delegates for the Anambra primaries against the express provisions of the UPP Constitution and the Electoral Act.
‘This was done in such a bizarre manner that a particular candidate has already been favoured by the doctoring that went on across board in all the LGAs of the state. This act of impunity saw a man taking up the position of women’s leader in some wards, dead people taking the posts of chairmen and many chairmen downgraded as vice or other offices.
‘Some were even taken off completely. What an act of rascality by people bestowed with public trust!,’ she stated.
Using the Anambra East LGA Ward executive list as an example of the said mutilation that occurred in all the LGAs, MOBIN claimed that Anambra East LGA had a total of 15 wards which gave a total of 75 delegates. It said that each produced 5 delegates namely: Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Women’s Leader, and Youth Leader.
She said that in Nando Ward III, the entire list was excluded by the national, even as it also gathered that the reason for the ‘strange exclusions of some ward lists by the national exco was for the perceived absence of party members loyal to their favoured candidate, and replacements of which they were working out as we speak.
‘These illegal and fraudulent re-designation and replacements of elected officials is purposely meant to deny these authentically elected ward executives their rights to vote at the Anambra guber primary. As said, in some cases, the entire lists submitted by the State EXCO for some wards were totally thrown out and new names imported. It is important to state at this juncture that many of these imports are not UPP members but drafted for the purpose of using them for the primaries only.
‘How can you go to primary with this level of manipulation and criminality? Where’s is the Biafra Ideology? Where’s the fairness? Where is the Democracy the UPP has promised?’ she queried.
Consequently, the group vowed never to be part of a system that upheld injustice, criminality and impunity, adding that it could never support any candidate that emerged from the skewed process, even if he was a pro-Biafran.
It said that MOBIN, being a political arm of the Indigenous People of Biafra that went into an alliance with UPP, insisted that the party must do what was right before the law by respecting the party constitution.
Grief overwhelmed indigenes of Ndieke Umuatuegwu Uhuobo, Okija, in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State yesterday, as the corpses of five members of the same family, who died after a meal of garri and soup, were brought home from the hospital.
Tears flowed freely as villagers wept for Albert Chukwudiebele, his wife and three children, who died following food they ate in the evening.
Trouble started for the family at the weekend when Chukwudiebele ate the food prepared by his wife, on return from work, His wife also ate the food as well as their three children.
Not quite long after eating, it was gathered, Chukwudiebele complained of stomach pains and started vomiting blood soon after. The children also had the same problem. Before help could come, the lastborn of the family, aged three, died.
Chukwudiebele, his wife and the other two children were rushed to the hospital for medical attention, where they died.
A source said Chukwudiebele’s wife was the last to pass on yesterday, before villagers brought the victims’ corpses home, with a decision to find out what happened to them in a traditional way.
It was gathered that the only survivor in the family was the 95 years old mother of Chukwudiebele, who did not eat the food.
A team of policemen from Okija Division, led by the Divisional Police Officer, Superintendent of Police Musa Ibrahim, stormed the Chukwudiebele compound a few minutes after their corpses were brought home yesterday, but it was hectic controlling the surging crowd of mourners and sympathizers, including commercial motorcyclists who thronged the compound to catch a glimpse of the dead bodies.
Police Public Relations Officer for the Anambra State Command, Nkiru Nwoke, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, confirmed the incident, saying the victims’ corpses had been evacuated to the mortuary, pending autopsy report.
She said the police had commenced investigation into the incident.
A family of six also died months back under same circumstances in Ekwulumili community, in Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
ONE person was feared dead, yesterday, at Ekwulobia in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State during a clash between security operatives and members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
The heavy presence of security operatives, including the police, the army and the navy, made the people wonder what was amiss, until they learned that the IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, was scheduled to visit the area. Several truck loads of security operatives were sighted at Upper Iweka in Onitsha and were said to be heading to Ekwulobia for reinforcement. Despite the heavy presence of security operatives, the IPOB members were still seen parading major roads in the area, singing and waving Biafra flags. An eye witness said security men confiscated the Biafran flags, caps, shirts and other items being sold by the youths, which apparently angered the IPOB members, who allegedly tried to attack the security operatives. It was at this point, the eye witness said, the police used teargas to disperse them, adding that it was the stampede that led to the death of one person. Though the State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mrs. Nkeiru Nwode, denied the death of any IPOB member, she confirmed that there was presence of security in the area, which was to avoid breach of peace. She said: “The presence of the security men was to secure the place from being attacked by hoodlums. People should not take laws into their hands; the security operatives in Anambra are working day and night to secure the environment and are not ready to allow miscreants take over the society.” While urging the people to go about their normal businesses as Anambra was secure, she insisted that security operatives would not hesitate to deal with anybody or group that tried to cause trouble. Apparently due to the problem, Kanu was not seen in the area as at 4.00 pm, even as the security men were still patrolling the area. Vanguard recalls that it was at the same Ekwulobia that suspected IPOB members tried to disrupt church service while Governor Willie Obiano was worshipping at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in the area. Kanu’ll return to Ekwulobia on Sunday—IPOB Reacting to the clash at Ekwulobia, IPOB described the action as a brutal murder. A statement by the IPOB Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, said the police officers in Anambra State were acting on the orders of the Inspector General of Police. It said despite the intimidation, IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, would be at Ekwulobia on Sunday to condole with the family of yesterday’s victim. He said: “The now seemingly regular deployment of a certain kind of Nigeria Police in Biafranland, especially in Anambra State since the announcement of election boycott in Biafranland starting from the gubernatorial election come November 18 this year is becoming alarming. ”IPOB intelligence unit discovered that those posted to Nigerian Army and Police formations all over Biafranland were ordered to kill as many civilians as possible in the hope of causing chaos in the country. “We want to alert Biafrans, men and women of good conscience across the globe that the Federal Government of Nigeria has decided to kill yet another innocent person in Anambra State, in the name of holy war against IPOB. “It has been reliably gathered also that Hausa- Fulani settlements in Biafraland are awash with police and army uniforms, which makes it possible for Fulani herdsmen and other terrorists to kill with impunity. “There is a disproportionate number of Hausa-Fulani police and army officers in Anambra State and other parts of Biafranland who were posted on a mission to kill innocent Biafrans. “The order to shoot at innocent Biafrans in Ekwulobia today (yesterday) came from authorities in Abuja because there is no justification for the barbaric savagery frequently exhibited by the army and police in Nigeria against the Ekwulobia incident. “The entire police and army personnel in Anambra State today are now staffed and manned by exclusively handpicked by Inspector General of Police and Chief of Army staff. “We are also aware that the new terrorists group posted to Anambra State with the Police and Army uniforms by Nigeria Government is sent to terrorize Biafran population in the hope of intimidating us into silence.
Anambra State Police Command has invited Chief Aloysius Ikegwuonu, alias Bishop, the man said to be the target of the August 6, 2017, attack on St. Philip’s Catholic Church, Ozubulu, Anambra State, for questioning next Friday.
The police, however, said they have no need to arrest him, as he was equally a victim of the attack that claimed the lives of 13 people.
Ikegwuonu returned to his community on Saturday and attended Mass at St. Philip’s the next day.
The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Nkeiru Nwode, who disclosed this to newsmen while responding inquiries, said the police had already invited Bishop for questioning, like they did some leaders of the community.
Noting that the command was not aware of Bishop’s return, she asked: “Do you want us to arrest him? You know he is a victim. We’re not interested in his return. We’ve invited him for Friday and he must come because failure to honour our invitation is an offence.”
Meanwhile, Ikegwuonu, on Mondayvisited the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, where he went round to sympathise with victims of the attack on St. Phillip’s Catholic Church.
Accompanied by some of his friends, he moved round the wards chatting with the victims and also asked them how the incident happened.
A source present at the hospital when he visited said: “The victims who have been traumatised since after the incidence were visibly happy over his visit.
“One of the victims, a lady, on sighting him sat up in happiness and greeted him for coming to check on them.”
Ikegwuonu, who is based in South Africa, has done some projects in the community, including tarring of roads and building of three Catholic churches, including St.Phillip’s, which made him a household name in the area.
The attack on the church was described as sacrilege as parishioners had trooped to the church as early as 6am to attend the first Mass of the day. but around 6:45am, a gun-wielding youth stormed the church and opened fire on Ikegwuonu’s father after which he started shooting indiscriminately.
There was pandemonium as people ran for cover, but when the smoke settled, 13 persons wee shot dead while several other were injured.
By Anayo Okoli & Chinonso Alozie UMUAHIA—Comrade Emejuru, the leader of Biafra National Congress in South Africa, has urged all IPOB members to register and vote in the coming Anambra governorship election in order to boost Biafra struggle and make its actualisation even faster. However, the Chief Ralph Uwazurike-led Biafra Independence Movement, BIM, has warned other Biafran agitators, particularly the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, to stop using the struggle for Biafra to cause crisis and breach of the peace in the country. According to BIM, Uwazuruike has been pursuing Biafra cause in strict compliance of the principle of non-violence and has never deviated from the principle as against what some agitating groups do. Biafra prostesters This came as the leader of the Biafra National Congress in South Africa, Comrade Odinaka Emejuru, yesterday, called on Anambra people to go and register ahead of the gubernatorial election in the state, as such will boost the struggle for Biafra Republic. BIM in a statement signed by the Abia Central Zonal Information Director, Mr. Anselm Ogbonna, warned other Biafra agitators to stop using the name of Biafra to cause breach of peace in Nigeria. The group also dismissed the position of IPOB on the November 18, Anambra election, and urged all eligible voters to prepare and participate in the election. The statement quoted the Abia Central leader of BIM, Mr. Felix Ezekwem as saying that “those busy campaigning against Anambra election do not know the harm they are trying to cause Ndigbo,” pointing out that “whoever plans to obstruct Anambra election does not mean well for himself, Ndigbo and Biafra at large. We believe in due process in our struggle for Biafra. So, people should stop using the name of Biafra struggle as an object of causing breach of peace in Nigeria.” Register to boost Biafra struggle — BNCSA Speaking with Vanguard in Owerri, Comrade Emejuru, the leader of Biafra National Congress in South Africa, said the number of registered voters could be used to determine the call for referendum. He said: “I want to call on Anambra people to go and register and vote. If Ndigbo fail to register, we will not be counted. We will be doing a lot of damage to ourselves. “If you register, then you can have the numerical strength to say that you want to pull out. In my opinion, we have not done enough. We need to encourage our people to register so that we can use it to move our struggle forward and as well determine the issue of referendum.”
Some youths under the aegis of the North East Unity Forum (NEUF) have warned the leader of Indigenous People of Biarfra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu against inflammatory statements against northerners and their leaders.
Chairman of the Forum, Comrade Alkassim Nuhu Abdulkadir, disclosed this while addressing a press conference at late Sir Abubakar Tafawa tomb, Bauchi, on Tuesday, saying they stand by agitation of Patriotic
Coalition of Northern groups.
Abdulkadir said: “We hereby reaffirm an unflinching support for the
patriotic coalition of Northern groups and advise Nnamdi Kanu and his
rowdy crowd to desist from making further inflammatory remarks against our people and our leaders”
According to him, unruly crowd in the south eastern part of this
country led by Kanu had for quite a long been disturbing the peace of
the nation with the greater emphasis on northerners whom they call
“baboons in zoo” and other derogatory names which “we are not ready to tolerate it any longer”
He continued, “That is why we feel duty bound to break the silence
An alleged group of Traders on Tuesday attacked a group of Protesters led by Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, at the popular Wuse Market in Abuja.
Charley Boy has been leading a protest demanding the resignation or return of President Muhammadu Buhari who is receiving medical treatment in UK.
Some of the traders who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said that the action of the protesters was politically motivated and not a representation of minds of Nigerians.
A jewelry trader, Malam Adamu Musa, said that the protesters had the right to protest, but pointed out that they ought to know that the president was not on ‘honeymoon’ in the UK.
“These protesters should know that it is not everything that one should politicise, especially the issue of health,” Musa said.
Mr Filibus Abuh, a petty trader, said that they never expected the protest to be taken to the market where common Nigerians were looking for their daily bread.
Abuh said that the protest disrupted business activities in the market for some hours.
The Spokesman of the Police Command in the FCT, DSP Anjuguri Manzah, told NAN that the prompt intervention of the police averted a major clash between two opposing sides at the market.
“The police had brought the situation under control at the market,”Manzah said.
He said that to forestall further breakdown of law and order, the management of the market had ordered its closure.
Manzah also said that a large contingent of policemen had been deployed to the market to provide security.
An aspirant in the November 18, 2017 governorship election in Anambra state on the platform of the United Progressives Party (UPP), Hon. Chudi Offodile has tasked Governor Willie Obiano to empanel judicial inquiry into the bloody attack on a church in the state instead of indulging in speculations.
Unknown assailants had a week ago invaded the St. Philip’s Catholic Church, Ozubulu in Ekwusigo Local Government Area and opened fire on innocent worshippers leading to the death of about 12 persons, while many sustained injuries and were hospitalised.
The former House of Representatives member told Sunday Sun in Abuja yesterday, that no government can eradicate crime, but blamed poor intelligence and security network in the state to the absence of grassroots government, positing that it would have been easier with such structure to find out exactly what happened rather than having the Governor or the Commissioner of Police rushing from Awka to Ozubulu in a matter of hours to speculate what happened.
“There is no government at the base to help out in such emergencies. That’s part of the problem. Organisationally, there is no way you can have an efficient policing system; service delivery without having an administrative unit at the base.
Nobody can really eradicate crime, but if we succeed in the election, we’ll be in a position to introduce measures to curtail and eventually reducing it to the barest minimum.
“I call on the Government to set up a proper inquiry to determine what happened and desist from speculation,” Offodile stated.
He sympathised with the victims while praying that those still in the hospitals recovered quickly.
Former House of Representatives member, Hon. Chudi Offodile and ex-Minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidoka, at the weekend scaled the hurdle to contest the primaries of the United Progressives Party (UPP) for the November 18 governorship election of Anambra state.
The two aspirants were cleared by a seven-man screening panel headed by the party’s National Secretary, Alhaji Sadeeq Masalla, who adjudged them fit for the primaries holding at Awka, the state capital on August 19, having fulfilled the requirements.
The party assured that the process would be free, fair and transparent, adding that the list of the delegates had since been published on the party’s website as a mark of transparency.
UPP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Ogbuehi Dike said, “We wish to seize this opportunity to reassure all the members of our great party and the general public that in compliance with our commitment and pledge the primary election shall be transparent, credible and a level playing ground provided for all the accredited delegates and aspirants contesting for the party gubernatorial ticket.”
He added that all relevant stakeholders especially the Independent National Electoral Commission, pro-democracy agencies and organizations as well as local and foreign media shall be accredited to observe and monitor the primary election proceedings.
Offodile told Daily Sun shortly after his screening which lasted for about 1hr and 15mins, at the party headquarters Abuja that the process was quite engaging, saying he looked forward to an exciting contest where with God he will emerge victorious.
Barbarism, descent into the pit and sacrilege. That was the mass murder that took place at St Phillips Catholic Church, Ozubulu, in Nigeria’s southeast state of Anambra on Sunday, August 6, 2017.While bedlam and bloodletting had become a national daily diet, the church massacre was unprecedented.Nigerians may seem to have become inured to horrific deaths in the past few years, but the St Phillips slaughter was one too many and a jab in the solar plexus. The bloodbath left 13 dead––mostly children––and 18 hospitalised, and it raised a caterwaul of condemnations from all people and the Pope.
The big question: What, in the name of God instigated those hounds from hell to unleash that Armageddon on a church?
The answer was scanty: They came for Bishop.
Bishop, real name Aloysius Ikegwuonwu, is the 36-year-old local magnate and philanthropist who is credited with vast influence over the church, in the community, with the police and the politicians.
He is recognised by all as the pillar of the church for his role in the building of the local cathedral. But a big cloud hovers over his source of wealth. That creates room for wild guesses, the most resonating being the drug war theory and the gangland vendetta hypothesis.
Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano lends credence to this thinking when he said: “We are dealing with a dangerous gang war that has spilled over to Anambra State from another African country.”
The murky backdrop to the senseless slaughter of that black Sunday obfuscates a clear theory.What is clear, however, is that the answer lies in going backward––to unveil Citizen Ikegwuonwu. South Africa-based Ikegwuonwu has rebutted allegations that he is a drug lord and had denied any premonition of the attack that claimed his father’s life.But his name and affinity to the community invited the cruel visitation on the church. The killers came for him, and failing to find him, at home and in the church, killed his father and then desecrated with multiple homicides the church he helped build. Without any prejudice, the key to the senseless massacre lies in unravelling the Bishop Conundrum. While on the trail of Bishop in Ozubulu, Saturday Sun’s team stumbled on one of the indigenes of the community who had been involved in the drug cartel’s operations in South Africa.He exposed the cartel’s modus operandi to our undercover reporter and what led to last Sunday’s killings in the Cathedral.
Road to Ozubulu
The Onitsha-Owerri Expressway runs down east, cutting through a series of communities into halves, doing so in the manner a master baker slices loaves of bread. You begin to notice this as you hit the road headed for Ozubulu from Onitsha.
If you are conversant with the area, you might connect Ozubulu through Nnewi, which appears a lot shorter. For Nnewi and Ozubulu share common boundaries. The journey takes a little less than 10 minutes through the old Owerri Road, which is paved but narrow. You struggle with its numerous turns and bends on it; you struggle with the women of Nnewi riding their motorbikes but get rewarded with the sight of architectural pieces scattered all around and the breath taking beauty of wooded hills that lie in the country side. Then you hit Ozubulu, only knowing so when the environment begins to change to semi urban.
You can also access Ozubulu from Onitsha, going through Oba, Akwukwu, Oraifite and connecting fromEkwusigo Junction.
Ozubulu and its people
Ozubulu is one big community. According to one its elders, Anthony Onumonu, a retired civil servant, “Ozubulu is made up of four big villages: Amakwa, Egbema, Eziora and Nza.
“We are surrounded by Oraifite, Ihembosi and Ichi. All of us are under Ekwusigo Local Government Area.
“Our people are mainly traders and businessmen largely known for trading in clothing materials. We are acclaimed cassava growers too. In fact, I’m the Chairman, Apex Farmers Cooperative Society in the community.”
Ozubulu, Saturday Sun was told, equally has well-read people. One of them was Chief Jerome Udoji, formerly Chairman, Federal Civil Commission, whose name swiftly went into the books as a good man for giving handsome rewards to civil servants many years ago. You remember him? There is also Professor Linus Amobi Ilika, former Commissioner for Health in Anambra State and many more like them. Ozubulu has people of means and taste. And this reflects in the quality of houses they have built in their community most of which are exceptional engineering masterpieces.
Over the past days, all roads had led to Ozubulu because of the mindless shooting of worshippers inside St Phillips Catholic Church, Amakwa in the area. This has led to an endless stream of visitors coming to see things for themselves. So both human and vehicular traffic to the town has been spectacular, with the number on a steady climb.
Ofufe, Amakwa village where the killings took place
According to Saturday Sun investigation, Amakwa is the eldest of the four Ozubulu villages. Ofufe is the kindred where St Philips Catholic Church is located.
From the old Nnewi-Owerri Road, one turns into another road said to lead to Ihembosi. You begin to descend endlessly and then go up and up again until you see what appears to be a summit. It is a popular bus stop in the area called Dallas junction. That is close to Amakwu Health Centre. From there, you gain an enthralling panoramic view of the region.Then, you turn to the left and begin to descend endlessly again before arriving at St Philips Catholic Church. The road to the area is paved and was said to be partly built by the Anambra State government and partly by Mr Aloysius Ikegwuonu aka Bishop – the man on whose account it is alleged that the shooting incident took place.
Quiet at Amakwa, Ozubulu
On this mid morning of Wednesday, everyone and everything in the kindred were still pensive. They were firmly in the grip of grief. It was clear that the area was still distraught. But who will not be in grief after all? Who will not be shaken after witnessing last Sunday’s gruesome slaughtering of 13 worshippers inside the auditorium of the church, forcing proceedings at the highly revered Catholic Holy Mass to an unceremonious end after which tens of people are still lying prostrate on hospitals’ beds still on danger list.
The Chairman, Ekwusigo Local Government, Mr Sylvester Ikenna Ofodeme, had declared that12 people died – nine women, a baby girl and two men. But shortly after, one more person joined the number following the severe bullet wounds he received.
On this occasion, the air around Amakwa kindred was still, the temperature cool yet humid. Hardly anyone was seen around except five fully-armed mobile police men sitting a few strides away, keeping vigil over the church. The residents hardly ventured out since the sad incident happened. And the few seen were not in any way prepared to talk to anyone about the dastard incident. They appeared to have collectively resolved to do so.
In their souls, there was this seeming admixture of pain and agony still storming like lava inside the belly of an active volcanic mountain. But they kept carrying on with stoic patience wishing that what befell them never was.
On this occasion, everywhere was calm; even the breeze seldom blew. When it did, its pace lacked that usual potency to ruffle the green leaf vegetation that dotted the area. Even the sun was shy to shine as it was deeply buried somewhere in the clouds up above the area. It was approaching noon but the sun was not releasing that life-giving energy which sustained animals, plants and crops growing in the meadows and farmlands. The reason was that the kindred was still convulsing with shock.
Somewhere at the Dallas Junction, a number of shops belonging to a certain Mr Peter Ubadiagha, a resident and retired civil servant were all under lock and key. Reason? A lady identified as Pauline, a mother of two, was among the victims of the shooting. She was waiting to go abroad to join her husband soon and was merely keeping herself busy passing time at the shop. So the occupiers of other shops closed for business apparently as a mark of respect for the dead.
Atmosphere around the church and ‘Bishop’s house
The church in which the massacre took place is imposing. The Parish Priest’s house behind it is simply magnificent – it looks clearly like an outfit built for a prince only. Both buildings sit magnificently on a plot of land averaging the size of a football field; the two are separated by a close. On this occasion, they wore coats of beautiful colours. Both churches were said to have been built and donated to the church by Bishop.
The police watching over the church had cordoned off the church with a ribbon that has the inscription “crime scene, do not cross.” Only the priest’s gate was open but no visitor dared go in.
Then to the left, a close is seen with a number of mansions on it. One of them is said to belong to Bishop. From afar, this house stands glittering like gold; a security gate keeps many from going anywhere near.
Everywhere around was as quiet as a graveyard with the stillness of the afternoon only occasionally broken by intermittent chirps of song of birds and mid-day crows of domestic fowls.
Victims recall ordeals
Listening to the accounts of the survivors of the gruesome shooting, one is tempted to believe that they are relaying extracts from a box office movie. They drip with blood as the narrators themselves even wonder how they made it alive.
The lone attacker ruthless – Nonyechukwu Eloka
“We were attending 6am Mass on that fateful Sunday. I sat on a pew close to one of the exit doors. The church’s generator had malfunctioned. On three occasions, spirited attempts were made to restart it but every effort was futile. So the parish priest abandoned the generator and carried on.
During the homily, the priest came out in front of the altar; he was shouting his words so that the worshippers would hear his voice from behind. When he was done with his sermon, we began reciting the Catholic ‘I believe in God. ’ Then I heard what sounded like shooting. Initially, I concluded it was some form of electrical spark somewhere, which I didn’t know where it was coming from.
Then, I saw people falling. That was when I saw a young man around the central isle wearing a black T-shirt and faz cap, shooting in all directions. I stood watching. When he exhausted the bullets in the first magazine, he brought out another one and started shooting again. Every part of the church received a fair share of his shooting. People were falling wailing and weeping.
In the ensuing confusion, Bishop’s father was shot dead. We learnt that his step-mother was wounded too.
When the shooting grew more intense, I ran out and escaped.
Those who saw the gunman escape said he came in company with two people who sat in the vehicle waiting. When he was done, he returned to the vehicle and they fled.
My neighbour here,Chinasa was shot. Her one year and five month-old child was killed, the elder, six, received a shot in the head. Both mother and child are in hospital now receiving treatment.”
I held my intestine, preventing it from gushing out, then I rushed home and collapsed – Mrs Catherine Ndubueze, 65
“When I heard the shooting, I felt something hit me on my right hand. I didn’t realise that it was serious until I saw blood gushing out. The bullet hit me and broke my hand. It instantly began to swell. That was when I noticed that the bullet after hitting my hand had also pierced my tummy from the right hand side and went straight to lodge in my abdomen.
“So with my left hand, I held my tummy to prevent my intestine from gushing out. I fell twice on the road as I ran until I reached home where I finally collapsed. From there, my son rushed me to the hospital on a motorbike.
So far, the doctor has extracted the bullet from my tummy after two major operations. My arm has been on POP. Since last Sunday, I only tasted water today (Wednesday). I have been transfused with three pints of blood. I’m happy to be alive; I thank my God for sparing me.”
Bullets battered my buttocks – Adaobi Akpukekwu
“We were busy reciting the ‘I believe in God’ when all of a sudden, I heard the cracking sound of gunshots. When I raised my head, I saw people fallingso from where I was, I docked because it was difficult for me to run away from there. Then there was some quiet. We thought the man had ended the shooting but we were wrong. “When he resumed, he was firing intensely in all directions. Even where I was, I received a bullet in my buttocks.I only managed to make it outside after he was gone; I was bleeding profusely; I was in severe pains. I couldn’t walk. It was here at the hospital that it was discovered that a bullet was lodging in my buttocks. I have been waiting for the doctor to extract it.”
Amakwa lost the most – Sylvester Ndubueze
“I was not in church that Sunday morning but our home was very close to the church. When I heard the shooting, I had thought that it was coming from Bishop’s security men. When it became sustained, I came to the conclusion that something was amiss. Then I heard the commotion; I saw survivors running home. Of course, no one dared to venture out.
But I gathered that the people came in a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV). Out of the people who had died, nine are from Ofufe, three from Umeze kindred while one person is from Ihembosi town. It is very sad.”
What Ozubulu residents say about the incident
Residents of Ozubulu are united in their grief, collectively declaring the development as sad and unfortunate.
The monarch of the troubled community told Saturday Sun that bandits carried out the dastard act.
According to him, “I was home that Sunday morning when I received a distress call to notify me about what was going on, that a great thing had happened at that part of my community.Bandits invaded a church and while worship was in progress, killed some people in cold blood and the bodies of my subject were strewn here and there.
I quickly called the head of Igwe in Council to come over and we quickly notified the state governor about the development.
The only time people from this community were killed was years ago when some security men were abducted and later killed somewhere around Awka. But we have never had such gruesome massacre of this dimension.
We count that government is on top of this. We have called on the Federal and Anambra State governments, the police to help us. We have old, cultural way of resolving things like this; we shall get to the end of it; we shall ensure that the right things are done so that this kind of thing never happens again.
Describing the incident as a tragedy, a prominent businessman in the community, Engr Peter Ubadigha, owner, Dallas Bakery said “Everyone is gravely saddened because of what happened here last Sunday. The woman who rented this shop was my tenant. She was called Paulina, the daughter of Christopher Udeze, a well known person in this community. She was a mother of two aged about 48 years.
The husband lives overseas; she was waiting to join him and was using this shop to keep busy. And now look at the turn of events.
