Fresh details have begun to emerge about the tragic shooting in Ogboji community, Anambra State, where at least 13 Ebonyi State indigenes lost their lives during a community meeting on Monday.
According to Nwobo Chika Nwoba, a former spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State known for his outspoken social media posts, the attack was allegedly orchestrated with the help of an insider. Nwoba claimed that an indigene of Ebonyi State invited the gunmen who carried out the massacre.
Though Nwoba did not reveal the suspect’s name, he disclosed that the individual is already in police custody.
Narrating the circumstances, he said, “Two brothers were having issues, and one reported the matter to the Ebonyi community in Ogboji, prompting the meeting to extend into Monday. The other, who refused to attend the meeting, gave false information to unknown gunmen who arrived at the venue and asked for the chairman of the meeting. Nobody accepted to point at the chairman. The gunmen then opened fire at the members of the forum and got 11 persons down. The chairman survived the attack and has spoken from hospital.”
Nwoba further stated, “The guy who brought unknown gunmen into the matter is currently in the net of SWAT in Awkuzu and volunteering information as regards what happened. This is the report coming from some of the Ebonyi people in Ogboji. Like I said earlier, Ogboji has seen it all in the hands of unknown gunmen for some years now. The leader of Gov. Soludo’s Agunaechemba security outfit in Orumba South LGA of Anambra State is from Ebonyi State. His nickname is Akpantu — a bag of nails.”
Warning against false narratives that could inflame tensions, Nwoba emphasized that the killings should not be misinterpreted as an attack by Anambra people on Ebonyians.
“Don’t pass wrong pieces of information to people to cause frayed nerves. The matter isn’t a case of Ndi Anambra attacking Ebonyi people in Anambra State. It’s far from it. You see Umunze, Aguluezechukwu and Ogboji, Owerre Ezukala and Ogbunka with a spur to Ihite, all within Orumba South and only Aguluezechukwu in Aguata — they’ve seen it all for two years now, moreover Umunze and Ogboji. Let’s be guided. I can’t support any attack on Ebonyi people, and I will not be in cahoots with those trying to incite Ebonyi people against Ndi Anambra,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has described the killings as “unacceptable” and vowed that justice would be served for the victims.
Similarly, the Anambra State Government has condemned the massacre. In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information, Dr. Law Mefor, the government urged the police to conduct a thorough investigation and assured that, working with security operatives, the perpetrators would be identified and brought to justice.