GOV. OBIANO DONATES MADE A N NIGERIA PATROL VANS TO POLICE

The governor, Willie Obiano presenting the vehicles

 

Earlier today, the award winning governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano donated some patrol vans and motorbikes to the Security Agencies in Anambra State to help in policing the state.

 

It's no more news that Anambra state is one of the safest states in Nigeria where crime fighting has been advanced from mere management to prediction and early prevention.

 

Out of the 13 vehicles which are all four-wheel trucks procured from Innoson Motors, Nnewi, Anambra State; 5 each will go to the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC while the remaining three will be for the Anambra State Vigilante Services. The 20 motorbikes are also for the NSCDC.

 

Presenting the vehicles and motorbikes, Governor Obiano explained that they were provided as requested by the security agencies and charged the officers to continue putting in their best for the security of the state.

 

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ANAMBRA 2017:' VOTE AND DIE', IPOB MEMBERS THREATEN VOTERS

One week to the governorship election in Anambra State, the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra has threatened voters with death if they vote. They also vowed to disrupt the election.

The members of the group marched around some streets in Onitsha, Anambra State on Friday, vowing a lockdown on the day of the election, which is scheduled to hold on Saturday, November 18, 2017.

Members of the group can be heard threatening voters in videos of the march circulating online.

They said, ““If you vote you will die. Don’t go out, stay in your house. If you vote on November 18, you will die. We are not running around for the zoo.

“There will be no election. We will not participate, we will not vote. Nothing concerns us with any election. We are formidable.

“We are in Onitsha to tell the Federal Government to produce Kanu. They should release all the Biafrans in Nigerian prisons.”

Speaking with one of our correspondents on the telephone, IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, noted that the purpose of the demonstration in Onitsha was to show the world that “the threat of bullet” would not stop the group from realising its aim of having Biafra Republic.

He said Igbo people living outside the South-East should contact their families at home to boycott all future Nigerian elections, including the governorship election.

Powerful said, “Today in Onitsha, we broke the python Buratai, Ohanaeze, Obiano and Igbo governors brought to our land. Anybody doubting the resolve of IPOB under the supreme command of Nnamdi Kanu is mistaken.

“We will put Anambra State on lockdown on November 18. This is a taste of what is to come. Nigeria should be prepared.

“It is also very critical to inform every Biafran, be you IPOB family member, businessman, farmer, artisan, driver, teacher, doctor, motorcycle/tricycle union, civil servant, trader, market leader, National Union of Road Transport Workers, National Association of Road Transport Owners, fisherman, market men and women, including politicians who believe in freedom and liberty of a free independent State of Biafra, to boycott the Anambra State election.”

According to him, the election boycott will give their agitation a global momentum needed to make world leaders accept a peaceful break-up of Nigeria.

“They will be morally bound to consider a possible date for Biafra’s referendum for independence without delay. A vote in Anambra elections will mean electing into office the same people who, over the years, have been responsible for the death, pain, misery, agony and suffering of our people. We would have only succeeded in renewing our suffering for another four years,” Powerful said.

ANAMBRA 2017: 'ANYBODY WHO STANDS IN MY WAY WILL BE CRUSHED', GOV. OBIANO TELLS OPPONENTS

A former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, on Monday, said he supported the re-election bid of Governor Willie Obiano because he had yet to see a credible person to replace the incumbent.

Soludo said this during the inauguration of Obiano’s re-election campaign at the Dr. Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka, on Monday.

The ex-CBN helmsman said Obiano had the best blueprint to sustain and consolidate the achievements put in place by the All Progressive Grand Alliance in the state since 2006.

He added, “I have not seen a credible opposition in Anambra State; not in 2017. I have heard some names running for this election; but I ask myself, ‘are these people running for a catechist’s position, because such names can only be good in such job, not for governor.

“We don’t want anybody to learn on the job on the Anambra State governorship seat. We don’t want to go back to Egypt.”

Soludo said he was called upon by many stakeholders to run for the November 18 poll but he told them that “if it’s not broken, why mend it.”

He alleged that some of the candidates contesting the November poll were doing so to pursue vendetta, while others were counting on the support of police, army and the Independent National Electoral Commission to win the election.

Soludo believed that the re-election of Obiano would sustain the zoning formula that had been entrenched in the political system of the state.

He argued that the candidates, who had promised to serve one term, in the spirit of the zoning formula, were either naive of how power worked, dishonest or fraudulent.

Obiano urged the people of the state to re-elect him, promising to turn excellence into a habit if given another chance to consolidate his works.

He noted that APGA had, for the past 11 years, impacted positively on the lives of the people, pledging to sustain the achievements of the party in memory of the late Igbo leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.

The governor stated, “It’s unfortunate that a certain person Ojukwu handed over this party to has dumped and abandoned Ojukwu’s ideals and vision for our people. But as an Aguleri man, I will carry this great masquerade with dedication and candour.

“Anybody, who stands on my way, will be crushed. That’s the character of an Agulueri in a battle.

“Today is our own Pentecost day. As you receive the spirit of APGA today, we charge you to go out and propagate the message to the far ends of the state.

“Our leader gave us the mandate to keep the APGA spirit alive, but the man who the mandate was handed over to, has run away. But as an Aguleri warrior, I am exhibiting the Aguleri in me, and l’m determined to keep APGA alive.

“We have defeated godfathers, and we will defeat them again.”

The governor said his greatest achievement was providing security to the people of the state, stating that he had instituted N200m health insurance scheme for the people of the state, especially for the indigents.

ANAMBRA POLL: FAYOSE, WIKE ACCUSED OF HIJACKING PDP

Chief Linus Ukachukwu, a stakeholder in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra state has raised the alarm that the party has been hijacked.
Speaking with newsmen in Abuja on Friday, Ukachukwu said that some PDP governors in other states have taken over to conduct the affairs of the party in an undemocratic manner.
He said that the governors of Rivers State Nyesome Wike and Ekiti state Ayodele Fayose have altered the results of the recent convention to elect three delegates ahead of the Primary election.

 “The party just survived the recent legal tussle and the Mkarfi led caretaker committee affirmed as the National entity to run the party, and thing are moving on well now. “The only problem we have now is that some of the thugs in governors forum have high jacked the party. “Some of the incumbent PDP governors have hijacked the party. “The election is coming up in November but there is a very serious problem.

“You know the party has to elect a three-man delegate before the primary election: recently the caretaker committee set up a panel led by Jerry Gana to go and conduct that election of the delegates. “Eventually Jerry Gana was removed in the middle: upon our inquiry we discovered that it was these same governors that removed him. “Governor Wike and Fayose now replaced Jerry Gana and Olujimi, but Wike went to Anambra and called for meeting of the stakeholders and the contestants and election was held. “The governors left in the middle of the election, the secretary continued and the result of the election was sent to Abuja. “Unfortunately, after submitting the result, Wike went to the oarty office last night and changed the result that was submitted. “That is a very big problem now and with this you will know that the right candidate may not emerge and it is a problem for the primaries, “When things are not done right, it will make the aggrieved members of the party not to support the candidate that emerges through a malicious means. “If a candidate emerges through this alteration of results, many people may not follow him and that is a problem for PDP in the election.

Chief Ukachukwu said that the party had zoned the governorship ticket to Anambra North which is where Senator Stella Oduah and four other candidate come from. He said that in order to respect the will of the party, his younger brother Nichcolas Ukachukwu who was interested in running had to shelve his intrest because he is from the South. He added that if nothing was done about the forceful alteration of result and the wrong candidate emerges, such candidate may not get the support of party stakeholders. “We have the largest followers in Anambra, that is the Ukachukwu Campaign Organisation and if you don not do things through teh right process it will be hard for you to get our support. “You cannot come from Rivers State and Ekiti state and tell me who will be governor in Anambra where we have spent billions of Naira. “However, we will not leave the PDP because of this, their plot will capside and the PDP in Anambra will come out strong. “Where will I leave the party to?

He insisted that the right thing should be done before the Primary election on Monday so as not to throw the party in Anambra into confusion.

Police nab man over attempt to use father, two siblings, five friends for ritual

The Police in Anambra have arrested a 26-year-old man, Chukwuemeka Okafor, for allegedly attempting to use his father, two siblings and five friends for money ritual.

The suspect, who hailed from Ifite-Awka in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra, was arrested following information made available to the police by a vigilant resident of the community.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Garba Umar, who briefed newsmen in Amawbia on Thursday on the arrest of the suspect, said the father had innocently provided N100, 000 to his son unknown to him that the son had a devilish intention.

Umar said that the suspect lied to his father about a business which made him raise the money for him believing that it was a genuine venture.

He further said that after collecting the money, the suspect proceeded to the house of a native doctor to prepare a charm that would enable him to eliminate his father, two siblings and five of his friends.

He said that the suspect had confessed to the crime, and was assisting the police with useful information for further investigation.

The commissioner said the suspect would be charged to court after investigation.

He listed the items recovered from the suspect to include; eight photographs of the victims, including three members of the family and pictures of his five face book friends as well as the sum of N100,000.

The suspect told newsmen that he collected the N100, 000 from his father under the pretence that he would use the money to set up a business.

Okafor told reporters that he was roped into the act after he was defrauded of N400,000 by one of his friends who promised to take him to Dubai.

“Amidst these frustrations, I sought the assistance of one Zaki who is very influential in the society and he told me that he made his money through money ritual.

“He encouraged me to join him in the ritual act after revealing the secret,” he said.

Okafor said he was warned not to reveal the secrets of the ritual to anybody otherwise his life would be terminated.

He regretted that he had no intention to join the evil act, but that he was pushed into it by the devil, adding that he got the picture of his friends from their Facebook walls.

IPOB withdraws threat to boycott Anambra election

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has withdrawn its threat to stop the conduct of the November 18 governorship election in Anambra State.

The decision was reached after a meeting organised by a non-governmental organisation, the Ala-Igbo International Foundation with the leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

Leader of the foundation, Uzodinma Nwala, told newsmen Friday evening: “After much deliberation, IPOB has assured us that it won’t disrupt the November 18 governorship election.

“We have jointly told People who are eligible to vote to go out and exercise their franchise without fear of molestation.”

The Ala-Igbo Development Foundation is an Igbo group that brings together Igbo academics, elders, clerics, patriotic public figures, women and youth, both at home and abroad, with the main objective of protecting and ensuring the survival of Ndigbo, their culture and civilisation as well as the development of Igboland.

WE HAVE INFORMATION ON OZUBULU KILLERS - GOV. OBIANO

Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, said that security agencies had a lead that could make possible the arrest of the gunmen that killed 13 people at St. Philip’s Catholic Church in Amankwa, Ozubulu in the state.

The governor insisted that the target of the shooting was a business partner of the alleged killer of the worshippers, but said that while the target was not found, his father was killed during the attack.

Obiano spoke with journalists in Abuja on Friday at the national headquarters of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, where he submitted his governorship nomination form.

He said, “We are taking precautions, we have a lead and the police have made some arrests and we are very confident that we will resolve the matter very soon.”

He said that the state government was bankrolling both the cost of treating the injured and the burial of dead victims of the attack.

The governor said that despite the killings, his state remains the safest state in the country.

“We can’t use that singular incident to judge the state. We have stopped kidnapping, assassinations and all that in the state. So, whichever way you look at it, we remain a safe state,” he said.

On why he is gunning for a second term as governor, Obiano said that his target was that by the time he had done eight years in office, he would have touched the life of everyone in the state.

The governor, who expressed confidence at the possibility of clinching victory at the poll, said that virtually all the major roads in the state had been lighted up.

He said that so far his government had achieved 66 per cent target in internally generated revenue.

Obiano said, “In agriculture, the state is doing very well and has attained self-sufficiency in rice production. We consume 320,000 metric tonnes and now we produce 375,000 metric tonnes per annum, from 80,000 metric tonne when we assumed office.

“What I want to leave behind as my legacy when I leave office after eight years is to ensure that Anambra State is self-sufficient in its revenue sources so that we will not have to be waiting for Abuja to run the affairs of governance.”

[PHOTOS] ANAMBRA CHURCH SHOOTING: DOCTORS USE TORCHLIGHT TO OPERATE TO OPERATE ON VICTIM

Apparently, there was no electricity in the hospital and so they had to use a torch light to illuminate the theater as they carried out an operation on one of the injured victims of the St Phillips Catholic church massacre last Sunday.

Facebook user, Godl Rightton Williams wrote "Still in Ozubulu matter
I pray for this woman to survive this operation... and I pray for the lost souls to rest in peace. ..Amen".

APC RAKES IN OVER N60M FROM ANAMBRA GUBER POLL

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has generated more than N60 million from the sales of the nomination and expression of Interest forms, even as the National Working Committee (NWC) held a closed door meeting with the aspirants.

Eleven aspirants, paid the sum of N5.5 for the form, while the only female aspirant was given the form free to contest the primary in line with the party guideline.

Addressing the twelve aspirants at a close door meeting yesterday at the party national secretariat, APC National Chairman Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, assured them of a free, fair and credible election.

Oyegun said: “We have called for this meeting to have an interactive section with you (aspirants) because we do hear a lot of things and if you have any doubt or anything that you think we haven’t done right, this is an opportunity to point them out and we will see what we can do.
“But I assure you that there will be truly fair, free and credible primaries. So, that is the whole purpose of this meeting.”

The 12 aspirants present at the meeting including the immediate past National Auditor of the party Chief Gorge Mohgalu, Senator Andy Uba, Sir Paul Chukwu, Mr. Nonso Madu, Prince Don Okonkwo, Dr. Chike Obidigbo and Engr. Johnbosco, Mr. Bart Nwibe, Dr. Nwike, Adaobi Kalu Uchegbu and Dr. Tony Nwoye.

Inaugurating the seven man screening committee, National Organising Secretary, Senator Ostia Izunaso asked the committee to score the aspirants in all areas, pointing out that any candidate who scored less than fifty percent stands disqualified from the race.

He told the committee to look into the area of support for the party by all the aspirants, their qualification among others, adding that any of the aspirants to be disqualified must be informed in writing as to the reason for his disqualification.

He said the appeals committee was also mandated to sit only on written petitions from aggrieved aspirants adding that they must not act on mere hearsay during their sitting.

While the screening committee is headed by the Ondo state Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi, the Appeals Committee is headed by the Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu.

ANAMBRA CHURCH SHOOTING: 13 CONFIRMED DEAD, 20 INJURED - CATHOLIC CHURCH

The Catholic Church has named the dead and injured victims of Sunday’s attack on a church by a gunman.

PREMIUM TIMES reported the attack on Sunday morning with the police later saying at least 11 people died from the attack.

The police have since announced the arrest of some suspects linked to the attack.

On Wednesday, the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi launched a victims’ support fund to cater for those involved in the attack on worshipers at St. Philips Catholic Church, Ozubulu on Aug. 6.

The Bishop of the Diocese, Hillary Okeke, who was represented by Hygi Aghaulor, Director of Social Communications of the Diocese, announced this in Nnewi on Wednesday.

“The Catholic Diocese of Nnewi has decided to do all it can to help the victims of the gunmen attack in St. Philip’s Catholic Church, Ozubulu.

“To do that, the Diocese has opened a bank account to which all funds for the care of the victims will be deposited for proper accountability.

“The Name of the account: CDN OZUBULU CASUALTIES CHARITY FUND
Bank: UBA PLC (NNEWI)
“Account Number: 1020519192.

The diocese also gave the names of the dead and survivors of the attack.

According to the Diocese, those who lost their lives to the massacre include Mr. Cyprian Ikegwuonu, Mr. Hyacinth Oramadike, Mrs. Cecilia Ewin, Mrs. Eunice Akanigbo, Mrs. Rose Okoye, Mrs. Anulika Oramadike, Mrs. Uchenna Oramadike and Mrs. Anthonia Ufondu.

The rest are Miss Oluchukwu Uhelu, Miss Christiana Igbeja, Mrs. Udeze Pauline, Mrs. Victoria Uzokwe and Mrs. Florence Nweke.

“May God grant these martyrs eternal rest in our home in heaven,” it stated.

“The following is the record of victims of the attack which showed that 20 were at various units of medical attention while two had been discharged,” the diocese said.

Those on the list are Ikegwuonu Caroline (f), Nwakile Anthonia(f), Okoye Odinaka (m), Okoye Patricia(f), Isaac Chinedu (m), Oramadike Chinagorom(m), Oramadike Chinecherem(f), Udegbunam Chidimma(f), and Ndulue Samuel(m).

Others are Udegbunam Obiageli(f), Ugochi Obiajulu(f), Chukwueloka Chinese, Oramadike Chioma(f), Azuka Basil(m), and Oramadike Chiamaka(f).

The list also includes Uchechukwu Chukwuemeka, Nwanya Ngozi, Ngwuta Chinemelum, Asomba Chukwudum and Nnudule Leonard(m).

Those discharged from hospital are Muomah Michael(m) and Oramadike Favour(f).

Meanwhile, the Anambra Traditional Rulers Council wants the state government to urgently constitute a high-powered Commission of Inquiry into the immediate and remote causes of the church killings in Ozubulu.
 
A communiqué signed by some of the council’s leaders including the Obi of Onitsha was issued after the council’s monthly meeting in Awka.

They said that such commission should be vested with powers to thoroughly investigate the immediate and remote causes of the unfortunate event and make recommendations.

According to the monarchs, now is not the time for hate talks but a period of mourning and sober reflection.

“We are particularly concerned that this criminal act took place during service in a place of worship and it’s a most ungodly act and a desecration of the highest order of a dedicated place of worship.

“We condemn in the strongest terms such dastardly and cowardly act of wasting the lives of innocent fellow human beings, and affirm that the Almighty God is the sole giver of life and it is not in the power of any human being to unlawfully waste the lives of others.

“We call on the law enforcement authorities to without fear or favour, spare no effort or time in arresting and bringing to justice everyone who was directly or indirectly involved in perpetrating this beastly act,” the communiqué said.

The traditional rulers, cautioned people against making unguarded statements that would inflame emotions.

They lauded Governor Willie Obiano of Ànambra for his prompt response and proactive address to the people to remain calm while investigations continue into the matter.

They also called on the government and people of the state to set aside a date for interdenominational mourning of the dead and supplication for God’s intervention to avert a reoccurrence in the state.




CREDIT: PREMIUM TIMES

FORM A PARTY IF YOU'RE POPULAR. CHIEF MADU TELLS KANU

The National Chairman of the Independent Democrats, Chief Edozie Madu, has said that the Indigenous People of Biafra lacks the power to stop any election in the country.
He described IPOB’s threat to disrupt the November 18 poll in Anambra State as empty.

The ID leader spoke in Awka, the Anambra State capital, on Tuesday, while inaugurating the party’s women league and a 10-man committee of the party in the state ahead of the governorship election in the state.

He said, “If Nnamdi Kanu of IPOB thinks his movement is popular he should form a political party where he will have all the powers and legitimacy to participate in elections the way he thinks.

“We are fully prepared and ready for the Anambra governorship election. We don’t listen to such talks. We don’t want to be distracted because we are out to win. No party has presence in the 21 local government areas and 326 wards in the state as ID.

Madu asked the committees to mobilise the people of the state to vote ID in the November 18 poll.
He condemned the Sunday killings by unknown gunmen at Ozubulu, describing them as barbaric and satanic.

He expressed optimism that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration would not allow the perpetrators of such dastardly act to go unpunished, adding that the Anambra massacre was a wake-up call to security agencies to work harder at creating a crime-free society.

ANAMBRA CHURCH KILLINGS: POLICE ARRESTS SUSPECTS

The Police have apprehended some suspects allegedly involved in the killing of 12 people at the St. Philips Catholic Church in Ozubulu area of Anambra State, Channels TV has reported.

The announcement was made by the Anambra State governor, Willie Obiano, who revealed the latest report on Monday.
“We have actually picked up some of the key members,” he said without giving more details about the arrests.

He added, “I am confident that we are going to solve this problem and the way we handle it will show them (the perpetrators) that you can’t import your trouble from wherever you are in Africa and bring it to Anambra State.”

Giving an account of the incident on Sunday, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Garba Umar, told Channels Television that the gunmen went into the church during an early morning mass and shot sporadically at worshippers.

He further explained that the attack was not unconnected to what he described as gang violence between some indigenes of the state.

“Information further revealed that this is not unconnected to a kind of a ‘gang war’ between indigenes of the state – the children of the same village – who are engaged in a warfare outside Nigeria, precisely in South Africa”.

According to him, many people were injured in the attack while some of the victims died on their way to the hospital.

Reacting to the incident, the President, Muhammadu Buhari also condemned the attack, describing it as an unspeakable sacrilege.

Expressing his grief in a strongly worded statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President said that “there was no justification whatsoever to target church worshippers and kill them in cold blood.

ANAMBRA SHOOTING: REAL STORY BEHIND THE KILLINGS

Fabmimi.com can exclusively report the true reason behind the shooting in the St. Philips Catholic Church, Ozubulu in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State.

According to accounts by a twitter user @insimiri, who claims to have privy knowledge of the situation traced the genesis of the trouble back to South Africa. The shooting was gang related violence between one bishop and his drug business partners.

The twitter user alleged that the said Bishop, who was the initial target of the gunman, had made away with the assailant's money resulting from the sale of drugs back in South Africa years ago.

READ ALSO: Anambra church massacre: Sacrilegious act, black Sunday – Ekweremadu reacts

The said Bishop was supposed to be having a Thanksgiving service at the church with members of his family. However, Bishop opted stayed away from the church service but unfortunately word had already reached his enemies and they already hatched a plan to eliminate Bishop in the church; a church, Bishop is said to have built.

Bishop's father was among the casualties recorded in the incident. In our earlier report, we reported eye witness account of how the gunman walked into the  church, identified a man then shot him before proceeding to shoot sporadically. Fabmimi.com can now clarify that that man was the father of Mr Bishop.

See screenshots of Ichie Boyz (@insimiri) tweets below

RELATED: Anambra church massacre abominable, barbaric, inhuman – Dogara

ELECTIONS WILL HOLD IN ANAMBRA - MASSOB TELLS IPOB

The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra has said the governorship election slated for November 18 in Anambra State must hold.

MASSOB stated that contrary to the statement credited to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, that the election would not hold in the state, the people of Anambra should be prepared to exercise their voting rights on that day.

The National Director of Information of MASSOB, Sunday Okereafor, who spoke in a telephone interview with SUNDAY PUNCH on Saturday, said it was wrong for anybody to say election would not hold in the state.

Okereafor explained that MASSOB would storm Awka, the Anambra State capital, on September 13, 2017 to celebrate the 18th anniversary of the movement, adding that the group was planning to establish a Biafra radio station in Germany.

He said, “Eighteen years of MASSOB existence would be celebrated on September 13, 2017. We will celebrate it in a big way and MASSOB is saying election must hold in Anambra. It must surely hold.

"We have come a long way and we are the founders of the struggle. All the pro-Biafra groups came out of MASSOB. We are telling Anambra people to go ahead in November and be part of the election.”

He pointed out that the radio station would not be used for hate speech and blackmail of other ethnic groups, adding that “real information” would be disseminated to the people.

Saying MASSOB welcomed only genuine fighters, Okereafor explained that insisting that there would be no election in Anambra could put the lives of the people in danger.

“IPOB is wrong to have said election will not hold. How can they say election will not hold? They want to create problems in Nigeria. They want our people to be killed again?

“We are saying no violence and they are inciting violence. The people of Anambra should go ahead and elect their leaders on the day of the election,” he added.

ANAMBRA CHURCH SHOOTING LINKED TO INDIGENES LIVING ABROAD

Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra has vowed not to rest until the perpetrators of Sunday’s killings at St. Philip’s Catholic Church, Ozubulu, near Nnewi, which claimed at least eight lives and injured 18 persons are brought to justice.

Mr. Obiano made the vow when he visited the scene of the killings in company of the Commissioner of Police in the state, Garba Umar.

The governor expressed grief over the death of the worshippers, describing the attack as “barbaric, sacrilegious and totally unacceptable”, while also debunking speculations of possible invasion.

According to him, intelligence report linked the shooting to an existing feud existing between some members of Umuezekwe Ofufe Amakwa community of Ozubulu living abroad.

“It is an isolated case and I urge worshippers in the Church and residents of the area to go about their normal activities.”

Mr. Obiano assured the community that his administration was on top of the situation and later visited the injured persons receiving treatment at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, NAUTH, Nnewi.

He promised that the state government would pay the hospital bills of the victims.
He also said that 50 doctors had been mobilised to the hospital to assist in providing the best medical care to the injured persons.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the governor also visited Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Cathedral, Nnewi, where he addressed a congregation of worshippers.
He intimated the worshippers on the true picture of the incident, saying there was nothing to worry about.

Earlier, the Parish Priest of St. Philip’s Catholic Church, Jude Onwuaso, said that the attack took place at about 6.30 a.m. during a Holy Mass celebration.

According to the priest, an unidentified man came into the Church, shot at a man, Akunwafor Ikegwuonwu, before shooting sporadically at other worshippers. 


RELATED: BREAKING: Gunman storms Nigerian church, kills eight, injures others
 
A witness, who simply identified herself as a choir member, said that the church was dark as there was no light.

She said that the generating set suddenly developed fault; so, the mass proceeded with the congregation using candles.

According to her, the gunman, after the shooting, immediately jumped into a waiting car with a driver.

The Police Commissioner had earlier confirmed eight people dead and 18 others injured in the attack.
The attack has left the community in state of shock and mourning.

Some residents and people of Anambra have since condemned the killing.
The residents, in separate interviews with NAN in Awka, described the attack as “heinous, unjustifiable and totally unwarranted”.
 
Osita Chidoka, a former Minister of Aviation, said he was saddened by the incident.
Mr. Chidoka decried the desecration of the temple of God, adding that nobody attacked anyone in the church even during war times.

“This is tragic; the church is a place of refuge to anyone who runs into it, and this wicked, barbaric and mindless bloodletting, shows that something has gone wrong on our psyche.

“My heart goes to the bereaved at this moment of pain. I pray that God grants the soul of the departed eternal rest as I urge the security agents to fish out the perpetrators and make them face the law,” he said.

On his part, Oseloka Obaze, a former Secretary to Anambra Government, said such callous attacks dehumanised the society.

“Our heart goes to the family and parishioners of St. Philips Catholic Church, Ozubulu, where unidentified gunmen reportedly killed several church members and wounded several others early today.

‘’Such violent incidents dehumanise our society.”

In his reaction, Victor Oye, the National Chairman, All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, said that no amount of provocation could justify the killing of innocent people who had gone to worship in a Church.
Mr. Oye, who described the attack as wicked, urged the security agencies to unravel those responsible for the dastardly act.

“As a political leader, I totally condemn the Ozubulu Church shooting as dastardly, unjustifiable and callous.

“Nobody has the right to kill innocent citizens. The Police and other relevant security agencies should ensure that the perpetrators of this crime are caught and made to face justice,” he said.

Jude Emecheta, who hails from Ozubulu, told NAN that “a dark cloud has befallen my peaceful town”.

Mr. Emecheta, who is the Managing Director of Anambra Signage and Advertisement Agency, ANSAA, said that the losses from the attack were too much for the people to bear.

He wondered why brothers could visit such attack on their people and urged those involved to “sheathe their swords”.