Outrage yesterday trailed the killing of Dr. Chike Akunyil, husband of the late Director-General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Prof. Dora Akunyili, by gunmen at Nkpor, Anambra State, on Tuesday, as apex Igbo organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, said Igbo Nation was now under siege.
Also reacting to the gruesome murder of Akunyili, the South East Governors Forum condemned the killing and charged security agencies to make concerted efforts and fish out the perpetrators of the dastardly act.
Similarly, President Muhammadu Buhari expressed deep sadness over the killing, saying the perpetrators must face the judgment of man.
Meanwhile, the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, immediately dissociated itself from the killing, explaining that the killing of Chike Akunyili was an offshoot of the ongoing political assassinations in Anambra State.
How Akunyili, eight others were slaughtered in Onitsha suburb by gunmen
It was gathered that unknown gunmen had opened fire in the usually busy area at a time Akunyili was returning home to Enugu after receiving a post-humous award by the University of Nigeria Alumni Association on behalf of his late wife at the All Saints Cathedral, Onitsha.
Akunyili, in company of his driver and police orderly, left immediately after receiving his wife’s award and was seen off by his son, Obum who also attended the ceremony.
They took the old Onitsha-Enugu Road and ran into the gunmen who shot them dead at Nkpor, a suburb of Onitsha.
Those in the vicinity said the gunmen were probably attracted to his vehicle by the policeman sitting in front of the car and then opened fire on the occupants.
According to eye-witnesses, it was possible the gunmen did not know the identity of Dr Akunyili at the time he was shot. They also said the gunmen killed three more persons, cut off the heads of three others before speeding off in a waiting vehicle.
We’ll ensure public safety, says Anambra CP
Reacting to the killing yesterday, Anambra State Police Commissioner, Tony Olofu, assured the people of the state of the commitment of the command to ensure public safety.
In a press statement by the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, Olofu, who visited the scene of the incident for on-the-spot-assessment, called for collaborations between the people and the police to fish out bad elements in the state.
While not specifically speaking on the killing of Dr Akunyili, Ikenga’s statement read: “The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Tony Olofu has today 29th September, 2021, observed with grave concern, the series of security breaches that have taken place in the state and has therefore ordered tactical commanders of the command to immediately put an end to the madness.
“He gave this order when he led senior police officers from the command on- the-spot assessment to the crime scenes.
“The CP while regretting the unfortunate loss of lives and valuables due to those senseless acts, has sued for calm, as the Command collaborates with other security agencies in the state to decisively deal with the perpetrators, who seem to have lost every iota of human conscience and sensibility in them.
“He implores members of the public, particularly residents of the state to continue to partner with the police with a view of containing these atrocious acts and that the Command is more than ever determined to flush out these undesirable elements and make the entire State safer for law-abiding citizens to go about their lawful businesses.”
Former governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, who hails from the same Agulu community as Akunyili, visited the Iyienu Hospital, Ogidi, where the corpses of the slain nine persons, including Akunyili, were deposited by the police.
Obi explained that the body of the late Akunyili would be taken to the Borromew Hospital, Onitsha where Akunyili served as chairman of its Board of Directors until his death for proper preservation.
Addressing reporters at the palace of the traditional ruler of Agulu, Igwe Innocent Obodoeke, Obi described Akunyili as a nice person.
He said: “Chike had always lived his life well. Nobody can explain how our society had degenerated to this level.
“I was with his son at the mortuary for identification of the body and I have spoken with his first son, also a medical doctor, who is abroad. We also visited the police station at Ogidi where his corpse and those of eight others killed on that spot were taken.
“He was a gentleman. He can’t do wrong to anybody. He just lived his life. He was always happy with himself. I am shocked that this happened to him.
“What is happening in the country now requires the collective attention of all stakeholders, including those in government, the traditional institution and presidents-general of the various communities. This is something that, if not controlled, can consume everybody.
Also speaking, the traditional ruler of Agulu, Igwe Innocent Obodoeke described the death of Akunyili as unfortunate.
The monarch said: “It is unfortunate for us to allow our people to be slain like this. What this means is that this type of death can come to any of us anytime. To say the least, this is not good.
“It was not long Prof. Dora Akunyili died and now the husband has joined her under this terrible circumstance. It is too early for their children to become orphans.
“It was in the morning that the chairman of Agulu Caretaker Committee called me and narrated what happened to Dr. Chike Akunyili. It was terrible that such a nice man should die in this manner.
“Chike was a lovely, humane person. He had no issues with anybody. I lack worlds to describe this kind of situation, but I blame the government for not providing security for our people any longer. He was not supposed to die in this manner”.
Too many killings, Igboland under siege – Ohanaeze
Reacting to the killing at the prayer meeting to mark World Igbo Day, President-General of the group, Prof George Obiozor, who was represented at the prayer meeting by Amb. Okey Emuchay, Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, lamented the gruesome murder of Dr. Chike Akunyili.
“We need to take a pause on the happenings in Igbo Nation. We need to seek the face of God. We need to remember our brothers and sisters that have been killed over the years. But more importantly, we need to think about today. The Igbo Nation is under siege. There are too many killings.
“As I sat there waiting for this event to start, a video was sent to me about the senseless killings in Anambra State involving the husband of former NAFDAC DG, Prof. Dora Akunyili. He was brutally murdered yesterday. If you see the video and see how brutally Dr Akunyili was killed, you won’t be able to do anything today.
“The senseless killings in the last couple of days in Anambra State calls for retrospection and deep reflections. We are under siege.
“All South-East states are under siege. We plead with the men of God gathered here, the mothers in this hall, the fathers in this hall and everybody, something needs to be done. Something urgent needs to be done.
“I advise IPOB and their other groups to think and to think so deeply because if you kill anybody today, who would be there tomorrow? This is the message from the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Prof. George Obiozor. “
Fish out perpetrators, S’East Governors Forum charges security agencies
Also reacting, the South East Governors Forum charged security agencies to immediately fish out killers of Dr. Akunyili to face prosecution.
