Anambra Governor rebuked for abetting Ozubulu drug lord

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By Titilayo Omotayo Alade

The role of Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State, South East Nigeria in the August 6 St. Philips Catholic Church, Ozubulu massacre which claimed  11 lives leaving 18 injured according to the State Police, has come under strong moral criticism.

Claims that Governor Obiano is a political godfather to a suspected drug lord - Alloysius Ikegwuonu (a.k.a High Chief and Bishop) are justified by a billboard displayed publicly last May where in Alloysius announced the Governor would commission roads constructed  in commemoration of his 36th birthday.

Anambra based civil society organization - Intersociety, in a press release on Sunday, questioned the basis of the relationship between the Governor and a drug lord who has become a political leader in his community by the aiding and abetting of the Chief Security Officer of the State, the traditional leaders and the Catholic Church which accepted the church building and other projects by Ikegwuonu without thorough investigation into the source of his wealth.  

According to Intersociety, a significant legacy left by Obiano’s predecessor - Peter Obi, was the clamp down and expulsion of criminals from Anambra which a recently apprehended notorious kidnapper “Evans” alluded to as prompting his (Evans) relocation from Nigeria to Ghana some years back. Another reliable political source based in Anambra said Sunday’s massacre has significantly undermined the Governor’s claims of providing unrivaled security of lives and properties in Anambra at a politically critical period, when the State is preparing for its Governorship election.

Alloysius is the identified suspect of a South African drug business gone sour between two members of Ozubulu community in Anambra, which unconfirmed reports claim has stretched across a period of two or more years.  A seasoned journalist based in Awka summarized the story thus, “One of the two drug lords swindled his partner and ran away. He never returned to South Africa. He built a church in his community, but hit men were hired to kill him. At his home, they did not find him, so he was traced to the church, where they saw his vehicle, but not him. They however saw his father and killed him. They also opened fire on other parishioners (who went for the 6:00 AM mass).  About twenty people died and an equal number are in the hospital. Nobody could identify the person Alloysius did business with, although the Governor and the Commissioner of Police came to the scene of the attack after the incident.”

In an attempt to allay fears of a terror attack on the community, Governor Obiano condemned the gun attack at the church as a sacrilege and explained that initial investigation revealed that two brothers of the community who lived abroad were responsible for Sunday’s security breach, and that the latter was a reprisal attack. He promised that the perpetrators would however be brought to book. 

While no names have been released officially, local media reported on Monday August 7, that some arrests had been made by the Police regarding the St Patrick Catholic massacre.  Earlier, the Anambra Police Commissioner attributed the Ozubulu incident to a gang war.  The Ozubulu massacre has been variously traced to a 2015 bloody drug cartel war which broke out over control and ownership of a place referred to as “a park” notoriously known for sales of hard drugs in Johannesburg, which has now been taken over by the South African government.  The mafia war led to mass exodus of many Ozubulu indigenes from South Africa, including Alloysius who immediately became a philanthropist in the community upon his return. A source whose mother hails from Ozubulu community said more than thirty indigenes from the community who live in South Africa lost their lives to the war. He thinks the main actors have decided to bring the war home to Nigeria, where Bishop has been spending more of his time including building the church where the attack took place. The source said some of them had earlier warned about the dangerous dimension the crisis was assuming, although they were ignored. Intersociety in a mobile call conversation corroborated this point based on their investigation. According to them, the worst may not be over as the attackers have promised to take their full pound of flesh.

Condolence messages have been pouring in, including that from President Muhammadu Buhari who is on medical leave in the United Kingdom. He said there was no justification whatsoever to target church worshippers and kill them in cold blood.

The Catholic Diocese of Nnewi, Anambra said the Parish Priest Rev Fr. Jude Onwuaso escaped unhurt.  The statement signed by Rev. Hygi Aghaulor, Director of Communications of the Diocese consoled the victims and described Sunday’s act as a sign of loss of what is sacred.  The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has called for an urgent inquest into the incident but Intersociety believes the Ozubulu massacre has brought attention to why churches, traditional institutions and political leaders should be wary of large donors.