Soludo: No Matter Where Perpetrators of Sunday’s Killings Hide, We Will Find Them

* Hurried burial of victims has disrupted investigation, police commissioner laments *Senator blames governor, says Anambra no longer safe under him

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, yesterday, vowed to find and bring to justice perpetrators of last Sunday’s killings in Nibo community.
About 12 persons were killed in the community by unknown gunmen.
But the Commissioner of Police, Nnaghe Itam, who visited Nibo community for an on-the-spot assessment, expressed concerns that the hurried burial of some of the victims by their families might have disrupted investigation into the tragic incident.
But the senator for Anambra Central Senatorial District, Senator Victor Umeh, lamented that the state under Soludo was no longer a safe place to live.
Some gunmen suspected to be cultists on a reprisal attack had Sunday, during the new yam festival of Nibo community, opened fire on some beer parlours, killing several youths.
The number of victims continued to vary between 12 and 16, but the police authorities said only five persons lost their lives.
Soludo, who visited the community, condoled with the families and community over the loss of lives in the incident.
He vowed to fish out the perpetrators of the act and go against cultism in the state.
While urging the people to go about their lawful duties, the governor emphasised that “no matter where the perpetrators hide, they will be brought out for sanctioning”.
He assured the people of their safety and general wellbeing.
Itam, who also consoled with the victims’ relatives, lamented that relatives of the deceased persons had picked up their bodies too quickly and buried them, thereby, disrupting what would have provided a lead to the identities of those behind the act.
A press release by the spokesperson of the command, Superintendent of Police Tochukwu Ikenga, quoted Itam as saying, “Anambra State Police Command remains committed to the ongoing investigation and to arrest the perpetrators of the cult-related killings in Nibo yesterday 20/10/2024.
“The command also frowns at the act of some deceased’s relatives to bury evidence, suppress information and disrupt the ongoing investigation.”
Umeh, in a press release personally signed, said a stakeholder in the area confirmed to him that 16 persons were felled during the attack.
The senator stated, “It is with shock and deep pain that I condemn the shooting, which took place in Nibo in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra Central Senatorial District, in Anambra State on Sunday, 20th October, 2024.
“From the information I received from an indigene of Nibo, who is a major stakeholder in the community, about 16 people were killed in the shooting, with several other injured persons still lying critically in the hospitals.
“The shooting took place just a few poles from the Governor’s Lodge. It has been tales of killings and kidnappings across the state without any visible efforts to stem the tide for a long time now.
“While I commiserate with the families of the victims and Nibo community, I urge people who are killing and kidnapping people in the state to lay down their arms.
“Killings and wasting of human lives go a long way in diminishing our state. Those events scare our people from returning home and discourage businesses and investments in Anambra State.
“We remind the governor of the need to provide security. The outcry of the citizens over the unsafe and porous security in the state should not be politicised by the agents of the state government. This is a matter of grave concern to all and sundry.”
The community remained in mourning over the incident. The security director of the community, who identified himself as Wadada, said, “The men came in two vehicles, a Lexus Jeep and Sienna vehicle, both without number plates.
“They came into Nibo through Amawbia, passing through all the police checkpoints and the governor’s lodge and opened fire on our people in a shop. One of my vigilante men, Mr Uchenna Obiekwe, an only son, who was unmarried, was killed.

“Many people were injured, including the owner of the shop and his six years old daughter, who sustained bullet wound on their legs.

“I cannot say for sure who the killers are. I cannot tell for now if they were cultists, unknown gunmen or just armed robbers, but time will tell.”

A survivor, who said he was a staff of Anambra State Ministry of Information, Ichie Oku, simply said, “You people should help me thank God for sparing me. It is not because of my faithfulness, but God spared me and said I will live again.”