A witness in the ongoing court case over the killing of
worshippers in a church in Ozubulu, Ekwusigo local government of
Anambra State, Mr Nkwado Onyeka has said that the perpetrators of
the killing were demanding $1m to stop further attack on the
community.
Onyeka yesterday told an Nnewi High Court that two suspects,
Gozila and Afam who had owned up to the crime and were still being
held in South African prison had demanded the sum as part of their
conditions to stop further killings in the town.
The witness, Onyeka who was the former President of Ozubulu
Development Union (ODU), South Africa branch revealed to the court
that the gang was being led by one Chinedu Akpunonu, and was
responsible for the killing of his wife, Mrs. Onyeka, as well as
six prominent people from Ozubulu in South Africa.
The Ozubulu church massacre which happened in 2017 had being
said to have emanated from a drug war between indigenes of Ozubulu,
who reside in South Africa.
During yesterday’s sitting, Onyeka told the court that the gang
had threatened that they would continue the killing until the
Ozubulu people whom they claimed were responsible for their
imprisonment effected their release.
While being led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Ezeuko
(SAN), Onyeka said, “Within a short time, one man Obinna Obijeme
who gave witness against Akpunonu at Igwe’s palace was shot dead in
South Africa. When we heard this we called meeting and invited
Chinedu Akpunonu, Aloysius Ikegwuonu and 20 others.
“In the meeting, I was pleading with Chinedu Akpunonu because
his gang members in prison, Dozila and Afam have claimed that they
killed Obinna. We concluded that Chief Aloysius Ikegwuonu, Emeka
Obi, Chinedu Akpunonu, Fidelis Nwanya and our patron will go to
prison to see Afam and Dozila to know how to stop the killing.
“The next day, Fidelis Nwanya called me and said that Afam and
Dozila said they do not want to see Chinedu Akpunonu and Aloysius
Ikegwuonu, that it was only Fidelis Nwanya and I that they would
want to see.
“Fidelis Nwanya made me to understand, that Afam and Dozila said
they would be visiting in November, and already I had booked
December to travel to America. So in December I travelled to New
York, my wife and son dropped me at the airport. On landing at
America, at the airport I switched on my phone and the first call
that I got was that my wife has been short dead in our office which
I share with her. I joined the same flight back to South
Africa.
“All Ozubulu people were calling me to sympathize with me but
Chinedu Akpunonu did not. Our people were worried and were asking
what to do next and I said they should go ahead with our earlier
plan to visit Afam and Dozila in prison but that I will not go with
them. They went to the prison to see them and reported that Dozila
and Afam swore that they would continue to kill Ozubulu people
except they were given $1 million. That it was Ozubulu people that
put them in prison.”
Onyeka said the reason they were saying that Ozubulu people
imprisoned them was because the then leader of Ozubulu, Oruche
called Chinedu Akpunonu and asked him to stop using the killer
gang.
“Secondly, they said Ozubulu people should come and get them
released from the prison and thirdly, that Ozubulu people should
kill the head of killer gang, Chinedu Akpunonu uses, who is named
Tijani Usman.
“After the burial of my wife another Ozubulu prominent son,
Nnoso Ikedinobi was murdered, another person Udoamaka was murdered
and by May 2016 Ozubulu people lost six persons in South Africa and
Afam and Dozila claimed responsibility. All of them were
respectively brought home and buried and funeral held for them but
Chinedu Akpunonu did not attend any of the funerals though I saw
him in Ozubulu in different functions.
“After he killed my wife he called two persons, Onyedinanma and
Emeka Obi and told them that he had dealt with me.”
Furthermore in his testimony, the witness said, “On 6th August,
2017, I received a telephone call from Aloysius Ikegwuonu that
gunmen went to the church he built in Ozubulu and killed
worshippers. While we were trying to figure out what happened,
chairman, Onyedinanma called me on phone and said that Dozila and
Afam said they sent those that did the attack.”
During cross examination by counsel to Akpunonu, Mr. Festus
Keyamo, the witness said he was not aware if any court both in
Nigeria and South Africa had convicted Akpunonu for murder, just as
he said he had never written any petition to security agencies on
the alleged murder cases he accused Akpunonu of.
The presiding Judge, Justice F.I. Aniukwu adjourned the matter
to May 4, 11 and 25 for continuation of hearing.
A witness in the ongoing court case over the killing of
worshippers in a church in Ozubulu, Ekwusigo local government of
Anambra State, Mr Nkwado Onyeka has said that the perpetrators of
the killing were demanding $1m to stop further attack on the
community.
Onyeka yesterday told an Nnewi High Court that two suspects,
Gozila and Afam who had owned up to the crime and were still being
held in South African prison had demanded the sum as part of their
conditions to stop further killings in the town.
The witness, Onyeka who was the former President of Ozubulu
Development Union (ODU), South Africa branch revealed to the court
that the gang was being led by one Chinedu Akpunonu, and was
responsible for the killing of his wife, Mrs. Onyeka, as well as
six prominent people from Ozubulu in South Africa.
The Ozubulu church massacre which happened in 2017 had being
said to have emanated from a drug war between indigenes of Ozubulu,
who reside in South Africa.
During yesterday’s sitting, Onyeka told the court that the gang
had threatened that they would continue the killing until the
Ozubulu people whom they claimed were responsible for their
imprisonment effected their release.
While being led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Ezeuko
(SAN), Onyeka said, “Within a short time, one man Obinna Obijeme
who gave witness against Akpunonu at Igwe’s palace was shot dead in
South Africa. When we heard this we called meeting and invited
Chinedu Akpunonu, Aloysius Ikegwuonu and 20 others.
“In the meeting, I was pleading with Chinedu Akpunonu because
his gang members in prison, Dozila and Afam have claimed that they
killed Obinna. We concluded that Chief Aloysius Ikegwuonu, Emeka
Obi, Chinedu Akpunonu, Fidelis Nwanya and our patron will go to
prison to see Afam and Dozila to know how to stop the killing.
“The next day, Fidelis Nwanya called me and said that Afam and
Dozila said they do not want to see Chinedu Akpunonu and Aloysius
Ikegwuonu, that it was only Fidelis Nwanya and I that they would
want to see.
“Fidelis Nwanya made me to understand, that Afam and Dozila said
they would be visiting in November, and already I had booked
December to travel to America. So in December I travelled to New
York, my wife and son dropped me at the airport. On landing at
America, at the airport I switched on my phone and the first call
that I got was that my wife has been short dead in our office which
I share with her. I joined the same flight back to South
Africa.
“All Ozubulu people were calling me to sympathize with me but
Chinedu Akpunonu did not. Our people were worried and were asking
what to do next and I said they should go ahead with our earlier
plan to visit Afam and Dozila in prison but that I will not go with
them. They went to the prison to see them and reported that Dozila
and Afam swore that they would continue to kill Ozubulu people
except they were given $1 million. That it was Ozubulu people that
put them in prison.”
Onyeka said the reason they were saying that Ozubulu people
imprisoned them was because the then leader of Ozubulu, Oruche
called Chinedu Akpunonu and asked him to stop using the killer
gang.
“Secondly, they said Ozubulu people should come and get them
released from the prison and thirdly, that Ozubulu people should
kill the head of killer gang, Chinedu Akpunonu uses, who is named
Tijani Usman.
“After the burial of my wife another Ozubulu prominent son,
Nnoso Ikedinobi was murdered, another person Udoamaka was murdered
and by May 2016 Ozubulu people lost six persons in South Africa and
Afam and Dozila claimed responsibility. All of them were
respectively brought home and buried and funeral held for them but
Chinedu Akpunonu did not attend any of the funerals though I saw
him in Ozubulu in different functions.
“After he killed my wife he called two persons, Onyedinanma and
Emeka Obi and told them that he had dealt with me.”
Furthermore in his testimony, the witness said, “On 6th August,
2017, I received a telephone call from Aloysius Ikegwuonu that
gunmen went to the church he built in Ozubulu and killed
worshippers. While we were trying to figure out what happened,
chairman, Onyedinanma called me on phone and said that Dozila and
Afam said they sent those that did the attack.”
During cross examination by counsel to Akpunonu, Mr. Festus
Keyamo, the witness said he was not aware if any court both in
Nigeria and South Africa had convicted Akpunonu for murder, just as
he said he had never written any petition to security agencies on
the alleged murder cases he accused Akpunonu of.
The presiding Judge, Justice F.I. Aniukwu adjourned the matter
to May 4, 11 and 25 for continuation of hearing.