Ozubulu massacre:How gunmen struck inside the church - survivors
· 30 bodies recovered, scores injured
· Perpetrators are indigines – Anambra Govt
Survivors of the tragedy which occurred in Ozubulu community in
Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State on Sunday narrated how
gunmen stormed St. Philips Catholic Church, Nza-Ozubulu, where
worshippers were observing 5.45ammass, killing about 30 of them instantly.
The state government said only 11 were killed, while the police put the casualty figure at eight, with 18 injured. Late last night, official sources said that the death toll had risen to 12.
The survivors explained that the gunmen arrived the church premises in a Lexus Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), alighted and one of them walked up to a 70-year old man (names withheld) in the church auditorium and shot him.
The victim was said to have a son who is a businessman based in South Africa. Natives said his son was the primary target.
One of the survivors told The AUTHORITY that “the first thing the gunmen did was to put off the generating set which supplied electricity to the church and visibly became very scanty. After shooting the old man, the assailant turned to other worshippers and in the process, a stampede ensued.
“The other members of the gang who were waiting in the SUV opened fire at the escaping worshippers and shot those who managed to find their way out of the church. I am just lucky to have escaped their bullets, and that was because I arrived late for the mass, and was not yet in the Church premises,” he said.
The survivor continued: “After their onslaught on the worshippers, they entered the SUV and sped off the scene. Thereafter, we rushed into the Church and brought out the injured to safe places. Majority of the surviving worshippers fled into different directions.
“We calmed down those who managed to come back and mobilised with worshippers who were still coming for the service and returned to the auditorium. It was a sorry sight to behold as we saw several bodies on the floor. We counted over 30 people dead on the spot and close to 100 others who were injured, were rushed to the hospital in Nnewi.”
When The AUTHORITY visited the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, where the injured were rushed to for treatment, seven people were confirmed dead upon arrival at the hospital.
Another survivor said that over 50 adults, mostly men, were in critical condition, while 20 children equally gunned down were rushed to the children’s ward of an undisclosed medical centre in Ozubulu for treatment.
A relation of one of deceased who identified himself as Sunday, said his sister left for the early morning mass and when he got wind of what happened, he rushed to the church but was told that she has been taken to Nnewi for medical attention.
“I got to this place and I was shocked that my dear sister, Anulika, who was full of life, has been cut down by the assassins’ bullet. We were about concluding her marriage preparations on Saturday night. How can I believe that she is no more?” Sunday lamented.
A security operative who claimed to be a supervisor at NAUTH said a lot of casualties were brought into the hospital and that 10 of them were dead before they arrived at the facility.
The Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, who visited the Church to condole with families of those who were killed by gunmen, said that the perpetrators were from the community and would be fished out.
The governor who went to the scene in company of the Commissioner of Police and other security chiefs told the people that the attackers were neither Boko Haram terrorists nor Fulani herdsmen as being speculated. He charged the Police to fish out the culprits.
Obiano said that it was a matter of business misunderstanding between two sons of the Ozubulu who are not resident in Nigeria. He however said that the security agents are on top of the situation and urged the people to go about their lawful business without fear of intimidation.
Obiano who also visited NAUTH where the injured are receiving treatment, prayed for their quick recovery.
Sources linked the attack to a South African drug ring, embroiled in stupid exhibition of illicit wealth.
“The gunmen are suspected to have come in search of a South African-based Nigerian who following a tip-off, left Nigeria in a hurry yesterday.”
Unconfirmed reports said the parents of the South African-based Nigerian were killed in the attack when the gunmen could not get at their primary target.
Some Ozubulu indigenes confirmed that the church was built by a native who resides in South Africa. He reportedly built and donated the church building for use last year.
However, a bizarre tale is that since last year, there has been orgy of assassinations of Ozubulu natives resident in South Africa, either at home or while in South Africa.
Some of the sympathisers who thronged the Church premises told The AUTHORITY that “unknown people have in the past one year been killing one another and nobody apart from the actors, understands the reason for such carnage.
One of them said: “Now that people have been killed to this extent in a church like in a war, it would be time to get to the root of the matter. But for now, nobody until the police come up with reports of investigation, knows if any of the victims of the killing was also a resident in South Africa or not.”
The Police Public Relation Officer, Mrs. Nkiru Nwode (DSP) confirmed the incident. She said that officers were already at the scene of crime and that everything was under control.
Another account claimed that the gunmen were sent to Ozubulu by a South-African based Liaise, Imo State man sequel to business gone awry.
The police at NAUTH, Nnewi, said that eight people were killed while 18 were injured.
In a statement, Nwode quoted the Commissioner of Police, Garba Umar, of saying that the police would not leave any stone unturned in fishing out the perpetrators.
She said that preliminary investigation indicated that two sons of the community living outside Nigeria were responsible for the attacks.
While describing it as sacrilegious, CP Umar said the identities would soon be made public even as he commiserated with the victims and their families. He asked the public to be vigilant and report suspicious movements.
The senator representing Anambra South in the National Assembly, Senator Andy Ubah, paid a sympathy visit to NAUTH to sympathise with the injured.
Also, the member representing Ekwusigo Local Government Area in Anambra State House of Assembly who is equally the Minority Leader, Hon. Onyebuchi Offor, condemned the attack on the innocent worshipers.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant , Mr. Oseloka Obaze, said: ‘’Our heart goes to the family and parishioners of St. Philips Catholic Church, Ozubulu in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State, where unidentified gunmen reportedly killed several church members and wounded others early today. Such violent incident dehumanizes our society.’’
The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Samson Olasupo Ayokunle, commiserated with the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, the governor of Anambra State, and the families of the victims of the “unwarranted, senseless, and wicked killings which took place at St. Philip’s Catholic Church today.
Ayokunle said: “What are these silly gunmen here and there turning our nation to? Whatever may be the reason or reasons for this dastardly act cannot justify this criminal jungle justice. Without doubt, the act is a madness the all of us must condemn in strong terms.”
The National secretariat of the PDP expressed shocked at the attack.
The party said that the “invasion is indeed barbaric, sacrilegious and a serious indication that our society is fast degenerating into a state of anomie with total moral collapse and utter disregard for the sanctity of human life.”
Source: http://authorityngr.com/2017/08/Ozubulu-Massacre--How-gunmen-struck-survivors/
The state government said only 11 were killed, while the police put the casualty figure at eight, with 18 injured. Late last night, official sources said that the death toll had risen to 12.
The survivors explained that the gunmen arrived the church premises in a Lexus Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), alighted and one of them walked up to a 70-year old man (names withheld) in the church auditorium and shot him.
The victim was said to have a son who is a businessman based in South Africa. Natives said his son was the primary target.
One of the survivors told The AUTHORITY that “the first thing the gunmen did was to put off the generating set which supplied electricity to the church and visibly became very scanty. After shooting the old man, the assailant turned to other worshippers and in the process, a stampede ensued.
“The other members of the gang who were waiting in the SUV opened fire at the escaping worshippers and shot those who managed to find their way out of the church. I am just lucky to have escaped their bullets, and that was because I arrived late for the mass, and was not yet in the Church premises,” he said.
The survivor continued: “After their onslaught on the worshippers, they entered the SUV and sped off the scene. Thereafter, we rushed into the Church and brought out the injured to safe places. Majority of the surviving worshippers fled into different directions.
“We calmed down those who managed to come back and mobilised with worshippers who were still coming for the service and returned to the auditorium. It was a sorry sight to behold as we saw several bodies on the floor. We counted over 30 people dead on the spot and close to 100 others who were injured, were rushed to the hospital in Nnewi.”
When The AUTHORITY visited the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, where the injured were rushed to for treatment, seven people were confirmed dead upon arrival at the hospital.
Another survivor said that over 50 adults, mostly men, were in critical condition, while 20 children equally gunned down were rushed to the children’s ward of an undisclosed medical centre in Ozubulu for treatment.
A relation of one of deceased who identified himself as Sunday, said his sister left for the early morning mass and when he got wind of what happened, he rushed to the church but was told that she has been taken to Nnewi for medical attention.
“I got to this place and I was shocked that my dear sister, Anulika, who was full of life, has been cut down by the assassins’ bullet. We were about concluding her marriage preparations on Saturday night. How can I believe that she is no more?” Sunday lamented.
A security operative who claimed to be a supervisor at NAUTH said a lot of casualties were brought into the hospital and that 10 of them were dead before they arrived at the facility.
The Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, who visited the Church to condole with families of those who were killed by gunmen, said that the perpetrators were from the community and would be fished out.
The governor who went to the scene in company of the Commissioner of Police and other security chiefs told the people that the attackers were neither Boko Haram terrorists nor Fulani herdsmen as being speculated. He charged the Police to fish out the culprits.
Obiano said that it was a matter of business misunderstanding between two sons of the Ozubulu who are not resident in Nigeria. He however said that the security agents are on top of the situation and urged the people to go about their lawful business without fear of intimidation.
Obiano who also visited NAUTH where the injured are receiving treatment, prayed for their quick recovery.
Sources linked the attack to a South African drug ring, embroiled in stupid exhibition of illicit wealth.
“The gunmen are suspected to have come in search of a South African-based Nigerian who following a tip-off, left Nigeria in a hurry yesterday.”
Unconfirmed reports said the parents of the South African-based Nigerian were killed in the attack when the gunmen could not get at their primary target.
Some Ozubulu indigenes confirmed that the church was built by a native who resides in South Africa. He reportedly built and donated the church building for use last year.
However, a bizarre tale is that since last year, there has been orgy of assassinations of Ozubulu natives resident in South Africa, either at home or while in South Africa.
Some of the sympathisers who thronged the Church premises told The AUTHORITY that “unknown people have in the past one year been killing one another and nobody apart from the actors, understands the reason for such carnage.
One of them said: “Now that people have been killed to this extent in a church like in a war, it would be time to get to the root of the matter. But for now, nobody until the police come up with reports of investigation, knows if any of the victims of the killing was also a resident in South Africa or not.”
The Police Public Relation Officer, Mrs. Nkiru Nwode (DSP) confirmed the incident. She said that officers were already at the scene of crime and that everything was under control.
Another account claimed that the gunmen were sent to Ozubulu by a South-African based Liaise, Imo State man sequel to business gone awry.
The police at NAUTH, Nnewi, said that eight people were killed while 18 were injured.
In a statement, Nwode quoted the Commissioner of Police, Garba Umar, of saying that the police would not leave any stone unturned in fishing out the perpetrators.
She said that preliminary investigation indicated that two sons of the community living outside Nigeria were responsible for the attacks.
While describing it as sacrilegious, CP Umar said the identities would soon be made public even as he commiserated with the victims and their families. He asked the public to be vigilant and report suspicious movements.
The senator representing Anambra South in the National Assembly, Senator Andy Ubah, paid a sympathy visit to NAUTH to sympathise with the injured.
Also, the member representing Ekwusigo Local Government Area in Anambra State House of Assembly who is equally the Minority Leader, Hon. Onyebuchi Offor, condemned the attack on the innocent worshipers.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant , Mr. Oseloka Obaze, said: ‘’Our heart goes to the family and parishioners of St. Philips Catholic Church, Ozubulu in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State, where unidentified gunmen reportedly killed several church members and wounded others early today. Such violent incident dehumanizes our society.’’
The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Samson Olasupo Ayokunle, commiserated with the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, the governor of Anambra State, and the families of the victims of the “unwarranted, senseless, and wicked killings which took place at St. Philip’s Catholic Church today.
Ayokunle said: “What are these silly gunmen here and there turning our nation to? Whatever may be the reason or reasons for this dastardly act cannot justify this criminal jungle justice. Without doubt, the act is a madness the all of us must condemn in strong terms.”
The National secretariat of the PDP expressed shocked at the attack.
The party said that the “invasion is indeed barbaric, sacrilegious and a serious indication that our society is fast degenerating into a state of anomie with total moral collapse and utter disregard for the sanctity of human life.”
Source: http://authorityngr.com/2017/08/Ozubulu-Massacre--How-gunmen-struck-survivors/
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