Okowa Mourns as Gunmen Kill Three of His Security Aides in Anambra

*Urges end to armed agitation in South-east

Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba and David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

The vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has commiserated with the state police command and families of the three police officers killed by unknown gunmen in Anambra State.
The officers, Inspector Lucky Aleh; Inspector Celestine Nwadiokwu, and Inspector Jude Obuh, were attached to the Explosives Ordinance Disposal (EOD) Unit in Government House, Asaba.

They were ambushed and killed around 1.30 pm on Friday by gunmen along Ihiala-Orlu Road en route to Umuahia on official duty.
The state’s Commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, who briefed journalists yesterday on the sad incident, said the late officers would be greatly missed for their contributions to the peace and development of Delta.
He described the unfortunate killing of the officers as barbaric and unacceptable in a country seeking to be united again for peace and development.
“We bring you the sad news of our gallant officers who have helped us maintain peace in our state attached to the Explosives Ordinance Disposal (EOD) in Government House, Asaba.

“The officers met their untimely death while proceeding as an advanced team for the PDP presidential campaign rally in Abia State; unfortunately, this particular team veered off from the convoy and took another route different from where the convoy was taking.
“They were ambushed along the Ihiala-Orlu Road en route Umuahia by non-state actors who killed three in police uniform while the one on mufti escaped.
“We have recovered their corpse and reached out to their families,” Aniagwu explained.

He said some accounts of the unfortunate incident trending on social media were untrue, adding that the state government delayed announcing their untimely death because efforts were being made to reach out to their families before making the announcement.
He called on security agencies in the country to fish out the killers and bring them to book so that Nigerians could once again live peacefully in any part of the country.
“What is happening in parts of this country today, particularly in the South-east, is not healthy for our development as a country because the elections are very close.

“The security we are asking for is not just for the elections. It is also something that everybody wants. We should be able to have safety at every given time; that way, we would have development.
“We must also plead with our brothers and sisters who may have taken guns on account of what they see as agitation to know that the best way to help our people is to allow peace to reign—that way, the development will take place in the South-east.
“Our people in the South-east are very industrious; they are commerce-oriented and have developed a love for one another over the years.
“We will plead with these our brothers to allow this kind of love that permeated the atmosphere in the time past in the South-east to continue to pervade that environment.

“That way, they can ensure that the government will bring development to them and also able to ensure that private sector investments would thrive.
“It is unfortunate that these gallant officers, just like many others have also lost their lives in the past, have lost their lives on account of the activities of individuals who describe themselves today as ‘unknown gunmen’.
“We are pleading with them to sheath their swords and begin to allow that love of which the people of the South-east have been known for over the years, so that as a people, we will continue to coexist.

“We pray to the good Lord Almighty to accept the souls of these our loved ones, three of whom have passed on due to no fault of theirs.
“We also pray that God gives their families the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss; even as we seek justice on their behalf, both as a government, as a state and as a people.
“We ask their immediate families to take heart. Only God understands situations like this, and we know that God will not allow them to die in vain because it was in the course of duty and service to our dear country.
“But even if it was not in the course of duty, nobody deserves to die the way these brothers have been killed.

“As a government in Delta, we will be with their families in their trying moments and we will also take steps to seek justice on their behalf by impressing upon security agencies to take steps to unravel those who have caused this pain that is in our heart today,” Aniagwu explained.