Sunday’s Attack on Ifeanyi Ubah Heightens Fear of Insecurity

•Atiku, Obi, Soludo, Abaribe, others condemn incident

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

Sunday night’s attack on Senator Ifeanyi Ubah of the Young People’s Party (YPP), representing Anambra South Senatorial zone, has heightened fear of insecurity in the state.

This is as prominent Nigerians, including the President candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar; his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi and the Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, among others, have condemned the incident.

Anambra had been under siege since last year, until lately, when the Soludo started flushing out criminal elements in the state, and opening some local government areas that had previously been declared ‘no-go areas’.

Thus, normalcy had gradually returned to the state, and people were already feeling safe again, until Ubah’s convoy was attacked, indicating that criminal elements had not been totally flushed out of the state.

Consequently, the state which was already recovering from the obnoxious Monday sit-at-home by. IPOB, relapsed yesterday. Market, motor parks, streets were totally deserted, just as many expressed new concern about security.

Some prominent Nigerians, including sons and daughters of the state, who reacted to the news of the attack, have called for a renewed resolve by the state government to sack all criminal elements in the state.

Other Nigerians, who had condemned the incident, included the senator representing Anambra Central, Senator Uche Ekwunife; the member representing Nnewi South, Nnewi South, Ekwusigo federal constituency, Hon Chris Azubogu and former governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress, (APC), Senator Andy Uba, who called on Soludo to swiftly ensure the arrest of the culprit.

But Soludo, who in a press release by his Chief Press Secretary, Christian Aburime, condemned the attack, also assured the people that state would give security agencies all the support, to ensure that the state was totally rid of criminals.

“Governor Soludo has condemned in strong terms, the attack by yet-to-be identified gunmen on Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah’s convoy. Governor Soludo said government is fully determined to wipe out every act of criminality in the state. He reiterated that this is the last ditched-effort of a sinking boat by these criminal elements,” the statement stated.

Soludo said all security agencies were already on full alert to fish out the perpetrators of this heinous attack, who would be made to face the full wrath of the law.

Atiku, in a statement posted on his Facebook account said, “The attack on the convoy of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah stands condemned. My condolences go to the families of those injured and killed in the attack. I share my sympathy with the Distinguished Senator.

“May the souls of the departed Rest In Peace. We’ve got work to do to ensure that safety and security returns to our dear country,” Atiku stated

Obi also strongly condemned the attack and described it as “unfortunate and condemnable”.

Speaking to newsmen at the Abuja Airport, Obi said he was sad, when he heard about the news, especially, when lives were lost, and called on the perpetrators of such crimes nationwide to have a re-think about their actions, which he described as “injurious to the growth and development Nigeria urgently needs now that suffering abounds in the land.

“I have continued to lay emphasis on the urgent need for enhanced security and protection of life and property in our society. I reiterate my unwavering commitment to put an end to all forms of violence in different parts of the country by seeking the root causes, under my watch, when elected the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Violence and killings of Nigerians under any guise whatsoever will not be accepted or tolerated under my watch as President.”

Former Senate Minority Leader,  Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, also condemned the attack and described it as despicable and evil.

In a statement in Abuja by his Media Adviser, Uchenna Awom, he said the incident was among many others across the country that were clear indication of total collapse of security.

While refusing to read political motives behind the attack, but cautioned against such, because no political aspiration is worth any human life, he called for a thorough investigation on this and other related ones to unravel the culprits and perhaps the motives for the rising attacks coming on the eve of the 2023 general election.

Azubogu in his own reaction said the news of the attack came to him as a rude shock. “Even more painful was the confirmation that some of his police escorts and aides lost their lives in that reprehensible and condemnable attack.”

Ekwunife expressed shock, while condemning the incident and described it as unimaginable.

“My sincere condolences go to the families, who lost their loved ones in the senseless carnage. Government must leave no stone unturned in arresting the security situation in our state and ensure that the perpetrators of this dastardly act are brought to justice,” she said.

Uba said, “The news came to me as a shock and I sincerely condemn the horrific attack. These attacks are uncalled for and it’s alien to Igbo culture to maim and kill humans.

“I commiserate with my brother and friend, Distinguished Senator Ifeanyi Ubah and the families of his aides that lost their lives yesterday (Sunday) in Enugwu-ukwu, Njikoka Local government Area of Anambra State.

“I urge the government to do the needful in bringing total peaceful sanity to our dear Anambra State. My thoughts and prayers are with you and the families of the victims.”