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| Police Commissioner in Anambra State and other senior police officers in the state with Mr. Aloysius Ikegwuonu, the alleged drug baron who escaped the failed assassination |
The well armed gunmen numbering about five had stormed the Church during its early Sunday Morning Service opened fire, killing scores of parishioners; numbering 20 or more. Scores of others were also shot and critically injured. Though the exact cause of and identities of the killing and those that carried it out are yet to be investigatively and formally established, but security experts and social crime watchers have linked it to frustrations arising from a failed assassination attempt/politically motivated killing.
The third possible reason for the killing being killing associated with abduction/failed abduction is dead on arrival because there are no circumstantial clues or leads to that effect. The possibility of the killing being associated with Church-Communal rift over land dispute or possible desecration/destruction by the former of a communal deity/shrine is also dead on arrival. This is on account of non-existence of such rift between the Church and the Ozubulu Community or a part of the Community.
The likelihood of the barbarous killing associated with armed robbery or carjacking is totally eliminated because of scientific and near zero physical violence presently adopted by armed robbers and car snatchers. Modern car snatchers have since become advanced and scientific by using modern technologies to activate car ignitions and padlocks; after which they quietly and nonviolently drive their target cars away to their syndicates for onward illicit transactions and disposals.
Modern armed robbers and abductors, on their part, have also advanced and made more use of communications gadgets and crime cells. Use of violence such as shooting and maiming is considered a lesser option except when under attack or where violence is the only option left for them to achieve their aims or hit their targets. Generally, armed robbery and abduction can never be carried out without targets. Any violent shooting and killing of victims without a target is the handiwork of deadly or dirty politicians or “political armed robbery”.
The technical clarifications above are to guide against the usual falsehood and spinning by the authorities of the Nigeria Police Force who always divert the public attention by presenting false pictures of crimes and their crime scenes. The people of Anambra State will not be surprised to hear a concocted or falsified version of the Ozubulu killings from the authorities of the Anambra State Police Command in coming hours.
Such concoction may most likely include mangling of the casualty figures and childish version of the likely cause of the shooting or killings. We will not be surprised too to be told that “it is the handiwork of IPOB which has sworn that Anambra Governorship Poll will not take place come 18th November 2017”.
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| Ozubulu Church Killings have marked the return of Dirty Politics and Bloodshed in Anambra State |
While we totally condemn the latest massacre at the Ozubulu St Philips Catholic Church, we urge the police crime/homicide detectives, if any, to primarily zero down their investigations onkilling arising from frustrations over a failed assassination attempt targeted at the escaped victim by a relative-sponsor at large. Politicians, members of the rich class and other members of the public as well as public office holders must put a stop to bloodshed and respect the sanctity of human lives. The Anambra State Police Command must leave no stone unturned and ensure that the culprits wherever they are or reside, are fished out by way of arrest or extradition and made to face the law in its fullness.
An eyewitness account per Don Ogbuagu has it that the gunmen actually went to assassinate a billionaire son of one of the clan chiefs of Ozubulu-Chief Aloysius Ikegwuonu (a.k.a. Bishop Ebubechukwu-Uzo of Ozubulu), but unfortunately for them, they met his absence; forcing them to storm a church located near his house (St Philips) in search of him during which he was nowhere to be found; which angered them and forced them to open fire on parishioners and shot them indiscriminately. The father of the billionaire was also shot and injured in his hand. The dead and the injured were taken to the Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital at Nnewi. Source: Don Ogbuagu-Ozubulu, Anambra State. The Anambra Governor who visited the Church also said the killing resulted from a feud between two brothers of the same parents in the Community.
Signed:
Emeka Umeagbalasi
For: Int’l Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law (Intersociety)
Mobile Line: +2348174090052
Website: www.intersociety-ng.org
Questions Before The Government Of Anambra State, Police And Catholic Church Over Ozubulu Killings (2)
(Intersociety Nigeria, 8th August 2017)-More facts emerging from today’s shooting and killing of 20 or more innocent and defenseless parishioners at St Philips Catholic Church in Ozubulu Community, Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State have compelled us to issue this second and updated statement.
Police side: As expected, the Anambra State Police Command just hours ago falsely claimed that “only eight persons were killed in an attack carried out by a gunman in a shooting resulted from a drug gang war between two bothers from the same town (Ozubulu) that are living outside the country”. We firmly hold that the said Police angle is riddled with a litany of lies and contradictions.
The Anambra State Police Command is, therefore, called upon to answer the following questions: What is a criminal/drug gang? Can an individual or a gunman constitute a criminal/drug gang? Who massively killed and maimed dozens of parishioners; a gunman or gunmen? Can a lone gunman embark on such assassination operation or reprisal killing? Since the State CP admitted that it was a drug gang war, are there no previous casualties and violent parties involved? He did the CP get his mangled casualty figure of eight deaths and how many were injured? What about the father of the escaped target victim? Was he not killed alongside others inside the Church or did he survive?
Alleged involvement of the present Governor/Government of Anambra State: The Governor/Government of Anambra State should provide answers to the following questions: Is the said escaped victim of the failed assassination (Mr. Aloysius Ikegwuonu/alleged drug baron) known to the Governor/Government of Anambra State? Is his source of income also known or not known to the same Governor/Government of Anambra State? Was there a time in the months past that the Governor/Government of Anambra State visited to Ozubulu to commission a road built by him? Was there also a time the same Governor/Government visited him to commission St Philip Catholic Church built by him? Is it known or not known to the Governor/Government of Anambra State that the troublesome/questionable billionaire flew back to South Africa last night? Have the present Governor of Anambra State not visited Ozubulu up to four times at the instance of Mr. Aloysius Ikegwuonu?
Was the Governor/Government of Anambra State aware or not aware of the reprisal threat by members of Mr. Ikegwuonu’s rival drug gang working for an Mbaise man from Imo State to revenge for the killing in South Africa of their members by gang members loyal to the said Bishop Ebubechukwu of Ozubulu; to the extent of vowing not to stop until they kill 200 indigenes of Ozubulu and Bishop Ebubechukwu himself in revenge? Is it correct to say that the Governor/Government of Anambra State recently made Mr. Aloysius Ikegweonu (Bishop Ebubechukwu) a political leader in Ozubulu? Was the Government of Anambra State involved in the relocation from South Africa to Nigeria (Ozubulu) of Mr. Ikegweonu where he was alleged to have abruptly relocated few years ago so as to escape justice?
The Catholic Church of Nnewi Diocese has the following questions to answer: Who built St Philips Catholic Church, Amakwa, Ozubulu? What is the builder’s source of income and is it not known to the Diocese? Is it not correct to say that the Church building in question is a house of Satan with Satanic well filled or flooded with the blood of the murdered innocent people and shepherded by the hands of iniquities? Where are the Catholic moral values and dogmas? Between Heaven and Hell Fire, who expressly receive all the prayers and offerings made inside the Church building and altar of St Philips Catholic Church at Amakwa, Ozubulu? Can the Catholic Church morally and legally be exonerated from culpability over today’s massacre at St Philips Catholic Church building at Ozubulu?
Signed:
Emeka Umeagbalasi
For: Int’l Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law (Intersociety)
Website: www.intersociety-ng.org
Barr Chinenye Akubuilo
Head, Campaign & Publicity Department
Barr Chinwe Umeche
Head, Civil Liberties & Rule of Law Program
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