* Villagers vow to seek revenge
* God will avenge blood of the innocent –Stella Oduah
A first cousin of Chief Aloysius Ikegwonu (aka Bishop), Mr
Augustine Ugochukwu, has stated that people are out to demonise his
cousin (Bishop), paint him in bad light while chasing shadow
instead of focusing on last Sunday’s killings in St. Philips
Catholic Church, Ozubulu, Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra
State, that shook the nation and avert a recurrence. Ugochukwu
said: “I was in the church with my wife and I saw everything that
happened. We had problem with the generator that early morning.
The Rev Father and I tried to start it for the service but could
not and the father sent for the electrician. The catechist later
came back with the electrician and all efforts to start it failed
and at that time the service was going on with the Rev Father’s
rechargeable lantern.
“He (Bishop) is a successful businessman in South Africa,
although I cannot say this is what he is dealing on because I’ve
not been there.” On the case between Bishop and his friend, Chinedu
Akpunonu, which is said to have triggered the killings, Ugochukwu
added: “The matter was brought back here to Ozubulu and it was
decided at Obi of Ozubulu’s palace and my brother (Bishop) won.
What happened from what they said was that my brother through
his boys was buying goods from Chinedu but later stopped buying and
the relationship developed into hostility. “What my brother does is
that he picks people who are stranded in South Africa and in this
town too, train them in business and he has always settled them
(establish ‘business’ for them”.
He has settled a lot of people in this community. Some of them
are from Imo State, others are from different towns and villages in
Anambra State. As I am talking to you now he has built over three
bridges and tarred many roads in this town. He has also built three
churches in the four quarters of Ozubulu. They are Nza, Egbema,
Amakwa and Eziora.
“These churches are St. Philips Umuezekwe, St. Francis Egbema,
and St. Alloysius at Eziora Leprosy Centre. He also pay all those
who are 80 years and above in this community and had always
distributed rice, clothing and money to indigent families at every
festival in this community.
“The 36-year-old young man started having problem in South
Africa with his friend Chinedu when three of his boys were killed
in South Africa. Two of them were from this village and one was
from Mbaise. He came back and gave them befitting burial and
settled their families.
So, we cannot say this is where this is coming from.” Meanwhile
some youths in Ozubulu, where some gunmen killed worshipers at St.
Philips Catholic Church last Sunday are planning to carry out a
reprisals on any community that might have masterminded the
dastardly act. Although normalcy is gradually returning to the
community which was deserted shortly after the incident, the youth
vowed that they were determined to get to the root of the problem
by taking their own pound of flesh avenge the killings.
Our correspondent who visited the community on Thursday reported
that shops were opened and people were going about their normal
businesses despite the presence of armed soldiers and policemen in
all the nook and cranny of the village. As part of the
surreptitious moves, it was gathered that the youth had formed
search parties and are combing neighbouring villages and towns in
search of the perpetrators.
A middle aged man who spoke to Saturday Telegraph on the
condition of anonymity said: “Our people have gone into
neighbouring towns and villages to search for whoever is behind
this dastardly act and by the time they come back with their
findings, whosoever was behind it will never go unpunished. Of
course we must take revenge.
Nothing will stop us from getting to the root of this incident.
We have heard a lot of stories, even on the radio and in the
newspapers, but we have our own way of finding something missing in
even inside water”. “Whether they are from South Africa, Ozubulu or
anywhere they like, we are heading for a revenge mission simple and
short”.
An okada operator told our correspondent that the community was
now sitting on a keg of gun powder waiting to explode one day. He
said: “We are all from this town and some few people who do not
like good things happening in this town are bent on causing
confusion.
“There is no person in this community who has not benefited from
his Chief Ikegwuonu’s philanthropy but they wanted to paint him
black and even kill him because he helps the widows, poor people
and vulnerable children. Do you know how many people this man is
sponsoring their education in secondary schools and tertiary
institutions? Do you know how many people from this town he has
taken to abroad? They are countless”. “He was the person who took
Chinedu (Bishop’s alleged rival) whom we heard he is having problem
with to South Africa.
But instead of reciprocating his good gesture, people are saying
negative things about him. But each time Chinedu comes back to the
community people will not sleep with their two eyes closed. He
wants to suppress everybody and will not want any other person to
grow. I know him very well; his father”. Also, the Police
yesterday, vowed to bring to justice suspects involved in the
church killings.
In the midst of the confusion, the Anambra State Police Command
had said its preliminary investigation revealed that the incident
was a fallout of drug war between two members of the the Ozubulu
community in the Diaspora. Consequently, the police authorities in
Abuja, have enlisted the cooperation of the International Police
Organisation (INTERPOL), to apprehend the suspects.
The Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), CSP Jimoh Moshod, who
made the disclosure in a telephone conversation with Saturday
Telegraph, said: “We are working with INTERPOL to get the suspects;
we know we are active on the INTERPOL platform.
We have arrested three suspects, and we are carrying out more
arrests.” In a related development, a former Minister of Aviation,
Senator Stella Oduah, has expressed shock at the killings. In a
statement on Friday, she said: “The event of Sunday 6th August,
2017, at St. Philips Catholic Church, Ozubulu, is certainly beyond
my comprehension. It is difficult to make sense out of the
narration of the possible reasons for the dastardly act. “Whatever
could be the reason, it cannot justify the act which can honestly
be described as Godless.
The house of God was defiled, humanity was desecrated and, the
social environment traumatised. “Needless to emphasise the need for
the security agencies to fish out the culprits but to add that the
task is a challenge to the security agencies.
As my heart goes to the families of the victims, it is my prayer
that the Almighty avenges the blood of the innocent.” The
traditional ruler of Ozubulu, Anambra State, Igwe Fidelis Nnamdi
Oruche, in a separate report has stated categorically that he never
at any time mediated in a drug dispute between two sons of the
community, Ikegwonu (aka Bishop) and Akpunonu. Both Bishop and
Akpunonu have been widely reported to be at the centre of an
alleged drug deal gone awry that led to the early morning bloodbath
at the church last Sunday.
But Igwe Oruche clarified that the only matter where he mediated
was one that involved a leadership crisis in Ozubulu Development
Union (ODU) South Africa branch. He said when the dispute over who
would become the President General of the union in 2014 persisted,
the matter was brought home and he intervened to settle it.
He insisted that it had nothing to do with disagreement over a
business deal. It would be recalled that gunmen stormed the church
and opened fire on congregants, killing at least 13 people.
newtelegraphonline
* Villagers vow to seek revenge
* God will avenge blood of the innocent –Stella Oduah
A first cousin of Chief Aloysius Ikegwonu (aka Bishop), Mr
Augustine Ugochukwu, has stated that people are out to demonise his
cousin (Bishop), paint him in bad light while chasing shadow
instead of focusing on last Sunday’s killings in St. Philips
Catholic Church, Ozubulu, Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra
State, that shook the nation and avert a recurrence. Ugochukwu
said: “I was in the church with my wife and I saw everything that
happened. We had problem with the generator that early morning.
The Rev Father and I tried to start it for the service but could
not and the father sent for the electrician. The catechist later
came back with the electrician and all efforts to start it failed
and at that time the service was going on with the Rev Father’s
rechargeable lantern.
“He (Bishop) is a successful businessman in South Africa,
although I cannot say this is what he is dealing on because I’ve
not been there.” On the case between Bishop and his friend, Chinedu
Akpunonu, which is said to have triggered the killings, Ugochukwu
added: “The matter was brought back here to Ozubulu and it was
decided at Obi of Ozubulu’s palace and my brother (Bishop) won.
What happened from what they said was that my brother through
his boys was buying goods from Chinedu but later stopped buying and
the relationship developed into hostility. “What my brother does is
that he picks people who are stranded in South Africa and in this
town too, train them in business and he has always settled them
(establish ‘business’ for them”.
He has settled a lot of people in this community. Some of them
are from Imo State, others are from different towns and villages in
Anambra State. As I am talking to you now he has built over three
bridges and tarred many roads in this town. He has also built three
churches in the four quarters of Ozubulu. They are Nza, Egbema,
Amakwa and Eziora.
“These churches are St. Philips Umuezekwe, St. Francis Egbema,
and St. Alloysius at Eziora Leprosy Centre. He also pay all those
who are 80 years and above in this community and had always
distributed rice, clothing and money to indigent families at every
festival in this community.
“The 36-year-old young man started having problem in South
Africa with his friend Chinedu when three of his boys were killed
in South Africa. Two of them were from this village and one was
from Mbaise. He came back and gave them befitting burial and
settled their families.
So, we cannot say this is where this is coming from.” Meanwhile
some youths in Ozubulu, where some gunmen killed worshipers at St.
Philips Catholic Church last Sunday are planning to carry out a
reprisals on any community that might have masterminded the
dastardly act. Although normalcy is gradually returning to the
community which was deserted shortly after the incident, the youth
vowed that they were determined to get to the root of the problem
by taking their own pound of flesh avenge the killings.
Our correspondent who visited the community on Thursday reported
that shops were opened and people were going about their normal
businesses despite the presence of armed soldiers and policemen in
all the nook and cranny of the village. As part of the
surreptitious moves, it was gathered that the youth had formed
search parties and are combing neighbouring villages and towns in
search of the perpetrators.
A middle aged man who spoke to Saturday Telegraph on the
condition of anonymity said: “Our people have gone into
neighbouring towns and villages to search for whoever is behind
this dastardly act and by the time they come back with their
findings, whosoever was behind it will never go unpunished. Of
course we must take revenge.
Nothing will stop us from getting to the root of this incident.
We have heard a lot of stories, even on the radio and in the
newspapers, but we have our own way of finding something missing in
even inside water”. “Whether they are from South Africa, Ozubulu or
anywhere they like, we are heading for a revenge mission simple and
short”.
An okada operator told our correspondent that the community was
now sitting on a keg of gun powder waiting to explode one day. He
said: “We are all from this town and some few people who do not
like good things happening in this town are bent on causing
confusion.
“There is no person in this community who has not benefited from
his Chief Ikegwuonu’s philanthropy but they wanted to paint him
black and even kill him because he helps the widows, poor people
and vulnerable children. Do you know how many people this man is
sponsoring their education in secondary schools and tertiary
institutions? Do you know how many people from this town he has
taken to abroad? They are countless”. “He was the person who took
Chinedu (Bishop’s alleged rival) whom we heard he is having problem
with to South Africa.
But instead of reciprocating his good gesture, people are saying
negative things about him. But each time Chinedu comes back to the
community people will not sleep with their two eyes closed. He
wants to suppress everybody and will not want any other person to
grow. I know him very well; his father”. Also, the Police
yesterday, vowed to bring to justice suspects involved in the
church killings.
In the midst of the confusion, the Anambra State Police Command
had said its preliminary investigation revealed that the incident
was a fallout of drug war between two members of the the Ozubulu
community in the Diaspora. Consequently, the police authorities in
Abuja, have enlisted the cooperation of the International Police
Organisation (INTERPOL), to apprehend the suspects.
The Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), CSP Jimoh Moshod, who
made the disclosure in a telephone conversation with Saturday
Telegraph, said: “We are working with INTERPOL to get the suspects;
we know we are active on the INTERPOL platform.
We have arrested three suspects, and we are carrying out more
arrests.” In a related development, a former Minister of Aviation,
Senator Stella Oduah, has expressed shock at the killings. In a
statement on Friday, she said: “The event of Sunday 6th August,
2017, at St. Philips Catholic Church, Ozubulu, is certainly beyond
my comprehension. It is difficult to make sense out of the
narration of the possible reasons for the dastardly act. “Whatever
could be the reason, it cannot justify the act which can honestly
be described as Godless.
The house of God was defiled, humanity was desecrated and, the
social environment traumatised. “Needless to emphasise the need for
the security agencies to fish out the culprits but to add that the
task is a challenge to the security agencies.
As my heart goes to the families of the victims, it is my prayer
that the Almighty avenges the blood of the innocent.” The
traditional ruler of Ozubulu, Anambra State, Igwe Fidelis Nnamdi
Oruche, in a separate report has stated categorically that he never
at any time mediated in a drug dispute between two sons of the
community, Ikegwonu (aka Bishop) and Akpunonu. Both Bishop and
Akpunonu have been widely reported to be at the centre of an
alleged drug deal gone awry that led to the early morning bloodbath
at the church last Sunday.
But Igwe Oruche clarified that the only matter where he mediated
was one that involved a leadership crisis in Ozubulu Development
Union (ODU) South Africa branch. He said when the dispute over who
would become the President General of the union in 2014 persisted,
the matter was brought home and he intervened to settle it.
He insisted that it had nothing to do with disagreement over a
business deal. It would be recalled that gunmen stormed the church
and opened fire on congregants, killing at least 13 people.
newtelegraphonline
Read more https://nairalaw.com/ozubulu-church-killings-why-assassins-are-after-bishop-says-cousin/