… Shooting caused by feud between brothers living
outside Nigeria
Ozubulu community in
Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State hug the limelight, yesterday,
but for the wrong reason. This followed the early morning attack at St Philip’s
Catholic Church by a suspected gang member believed to be part of rival drug
cartel.
The attack, which took place while the priest was
rounding off the first Mass of the day at about 6am, has turned the otherwise
sleepy town into a tourist centre overnight, even as the people mourn their dead
and count their losses.
When the dare-devil gunman stormed the church
premises, he reportedly went to the powerhouse and turned off electricity
supply. While the parishioners were still wondering what was happening, he
slipped into the church auditorium and sprayed it with bullets. By the time the
booming guns were silent, not only was the altar of God defiled, many laid cold
in their pool of blood.
Commissioner of Police, Garba Umar, in a press
statement signed by the Command’s spokesperson, Nkiru Nwode, confirmed 11
persons died and 18 injured. However, unofficial reports put the casualty
figure at over a score.
The dead and the living were later conveyed to the
Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi.
CP Umar said preliminary investigations revealed
that the bloodbath was executed by a native of the area.
“From our findings, it is very clear that the person
who carried the attack must be an indigene of the area.
“We gathered that worshippers for 6 o’clock Sunday
Mass at St. Philip’s Ozobulu were in the service when a gunman, dressed in
black attire and covering his face with a cap, entered the church and moved straight to
a particular direction and opened fire.
“The man, after shooting at his targeted victims,
still went on a shooting spree, killing and wounding other worshippers.”
According to sources, yesterday’s attack was not an
isolated case.
“There has been ongoing face-off between suspected
cartel based in South Africa. Some persons were allegedly killed last year in
South Africa.
During the burial, members of the other gang came for revenge
also. The gang fight has continued…So, don’t be deceived. This is a fallout of
drug fight that stretches from South Africa among our boys. They came looking
for one of their own,” the source said.
Governor Willie Obiano, who was at the scene,
revealed that preliminary security investigations showed that the shooting was
caused by a feud between two brothers from the community living outside Nigeria
“This is sacrilegious, totally unacceptable in
Anambra State,” he said.
He asked the people to go about their businesses
without fear or panic, noting that this isolated case must be followed to the
root and perpetrators brought to book.
“We can’t allow this happen in Anambra; we must get
everyone involved to face the music” the governor declared
Gov. Obiano also visited Nnamdi Azikiwe University
Teaching Hospital, Nnewi where the injured are being treated.
The governor, who thanked the over 50 doctors
looking after the injured, gave assurance that all medical bills would be taken
care of by the state government.
Meanwhile, Daily Sun gathered that the attack was an
alleged outcome of disagreement in business between two cabals based in South
Africa, which has led to the death of some people earlier.
A source, which pleaded anonymity, said: “In fact,
their matter has even been tried at the palace of our traditional ruler, but
some people did not like how the matter was handled.
“In the last one year, about five persons from this
community have been killed in South Africa. Even the manager of one of them was
killed not too long ago. His Oga, the man who trained him, was also killed last
year; the man just left for South Africa, after his Christmas celebration here.
Within two weeks after he returned to South, he was killed.
“I don’t know why the people decided to kill
innocent people in the church; even the person I learnt they came for has been
so good to the people here. All these tarred road were done by him.”
At Bishops house, people were seen weeping for the
death of one of the church topshot.
One of them said: “The policeman asked him when he
was going in the morning and he said he should not worry because the church has
security gaurds.
By the time we heard the gunshot and got there they had gone.
Baba was too good, but again if Baba was their target why did they kill
innocent people after they had shot him. This is what is annoying me the most.”
Survivors speak
Some survivors of the gun attack said the incident
happened like a thriller movie.
According to Anne Ejidike, who had a bullet wound,
the 6am Mass was almost ending when the incident happened
“Father had finished sermon and asked everybody to
stand up to say the creed; as we stood up and he blessed the people, we heard
gunshots and immediately I saw the Father ran out the other way. He was the
first to run because he was facing the side the shooting was coming from.
“When I turned my back, I saw a man in all black
shooting sporadically. I immediately fell on my stomach. It was after that I started feeling
pains in my legs.
But thank God the doctors have checked it and said no bullet
is inside. Many people died. I counted about 12 and they said some died at the
hospital.”
Another lady, Miss Ogochukwu Maduka, who was the
first to come to the church as usual, said her escape was miraculous.
Daily Sun Report.
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