From the old Nnewi-Owerri Road, one turns
into another road said to lead to Ihembosi. You begin to descend
endlessly and then go up and up again until you see what appears to be a
summit. It is a popular bus stop in the area called Dallas junction.
That is close to Amakwu Health Centre. From there, you gain an
enthralling panoramic view of the region. Then,
you turn to the left and begin to descend endlessly again before
arriving at St Philips Catholic Church. The road to the area is paved
and was said to be partly built by the Anambra State government and
partly by Mr Aloysius Ikegwuonu aka Bishop – the man on whose account it
is alleged that the shooting incident took place.
Quiet at Amakwa, Ozubulu
On this mid morning of Wednesday,
everyone and everything in the kindred were still pensive. They were
firmly in the grip of grief. It was clear that the area was still
distraught. But who will not be in grief after all? Who will not be
shaken after witnessing last Sunday’s gruesome slaughtering of 13
worshippers inside the auditorium of the church, forcing proceedings at
the highly revered Catholic Holy Mass to an unceremonious end after
which tens of people are still lying prostrate on hospitals’ beds still
on danger list.
The Chairman, Ekwusigo Local Government,
Mr Sylvester Ikenna Ofodeme, had declared that12 people died – nine
women, a baby girl and two men. But shortly after, one more person
joined the number following the severe bullet wounds he received.
On this occasion, the air around Amakwa
kindred was still, the temperature cool yet humid. Hardly anyone was
seen around except five fully-armed mobile police men sitting a few
strides away, keeping vigil over the church. The residents hardly
ventured out since the sad incident happened. And the few seen were not
in any way prepared to talk to anyone about the dastard incident. They
appeared to have collectively resolved to do so.
In their souls, there was this seeming
admixture of pain and agony still storming like lava inside the belly of
an active volcanic mountain. But they kept carrying on with stoic
patience wishing that what befell them never was.
On this occasion, everywhere was calm;
even the breeze seldom blew. When it did, its pace lacked that usual
potency to ruffle the green leaf vegetation that dotted the area. Even
the sun was shy to shine as it was deeply buried somewhere in the clouds
up above the area. It was approaching noon but the sun was not
releasing that life-giving energy which sustained animals, plants and
crops growing in the meadows and farmlands. The reason was that the
kindred was still convulsing with shock.
Somewhere at the Dallas Junction, a
number of shops belonging to a certain Mr Peter Ubadiagha, a resident
and retired civil servant were all under lock and key. Reason? A lady
identified as Pauline, a mother of two, was among the victims of the
shooting. She was waiting to go abroad to join her husband soon and was
merely keeping herself busy passing time at the shop. So the occupiers
of other shops closed for business apparently as a mark of respect for
the dead.
Atmosphere around the church and ‘Bishop’s house
The church in which the massacre took
place is imposing. The Parish Priest’s house behind it is simply
magnificent – it looks clearly like an outfit built for a prince only.
Both buildings sit magnificently on a plot of land averaging the size of
a football field; the two are separated by a close. On this occasion,
they wore coats of beautiful colours. Both churches were said to have
been built and donated to the church by Bishop.
The police watching over the church had
cordoned off the church with a ribbon that has the inscription “crime
scene, do not cross.” Only the priest’s gate was open but no visitor
dared go in.
Then to the left, a close is seen with a
number of mansions on it. One of them is said to belong to Bishop. From
afar, this house stands glittering like gold; a security gate keeps many
from going anywhere near.
Everywhere around was as quiet as a
graveyard with the stillness of the afternoon only occasionally broken
by intermittent chirps of song of birds and mid-day crows of domestic
fowls.
Victims recall ordeals
Listening to the accounts of the
survivors of the gruesome shooting, one is tempted to believe that they
are relaying extracts from a box office movie. They drip with blood as
the narrators themselves even wonder how they made it alive.
The lone attacker ruthless – Nonyechukwu Eloka
“We were attending 6am Mass on that
fateful Sunday. I sat on a pew close to one of the exit doors. The
church’s generator had malfunctioned. On three occasions, spirited
attempts were made to restart it but every effort was futile. So the
parish priest abandoned the generator and carried on.
During the homily, the priest came out in
front of the altar; he was shouting his words so that the worshippers
would hear his voice from behind. When he was done with his sermon, we
began reciting the Catholic ‘I believe in God. ’ Then I heard what
sounded like shooting. Initially, I concluded it was some form of
electrical spark somewhere, which I didn’t know where it was coming
from.
Then, I saw people falling. That was when
I saw a young man around the central isle wearing a black T-shirt and
faz cap, shooting in all directions. I stood watching. When he exhausted
the bullets in the first magazine, he brought out another one and
started shooting again. Every part of the church received a fair share
of his shooting. People were falling wailing and weeping.
In the ensuing confusion, Bishop’s father was shot dead. We learnt that his step-mother was wounded too.
When the shooting grew more intense, I ran out and escaped.
Those who saw the gunman escape said he
came in company with two people who sat in the vehicle waiting. When he
was done, he returned to the vehicle and they fled.
My neighbour here, Chinasa
was shot. Her one year and five month-old child was killed, the elder,
six, received a shot in the head. Both mother and child are in hospital
now receiving treatment.”
I held my intestine, preventing it from gushing out, then I rushed home and collapsed – Mrs Catherine Ndubueze, 65
“When I heard the shooting, I felt
something hit me on my right hand. I didn’t realise that it was serious
until I saw blood gushing out. The bullet hit me and broke my hand. It
instantly began to swell. That was when I noticed that the bullet after
hitting my hand had also pierced my tummy from the right hand side and
went straight to lodge in my abdomen.
“So with my left hand, I held my tummy to
prevent my intestine from gushing out. I fell twice on the road as I
ran until I reached home where I finally collapsed. From there, my son
rushed me to the hospital on a motorbike.
So far, the doctor has extracted the
bullet from my tummy after two major operations. My arm has been on POP.
Since last Sunday, I only tasted water today (Wednesday). I have been
transfused with three pints of blood. I’m happy to be alive; I thank my
God for sparing me.”
Bullets battered my buttocks – Adaobi Akpukekwu
“We were busy reciting the ‘I believe in
God’ when all of a sudden, I heard the cracking sound of gunshots. When I
raised my head, I saw people falling so
from where I was, I docked because it was difficult for me to run away
from there. Then there was some quiet. We thought the man had ended the
shooting but we were wrong. “When he resumed, he was firing intensely in
all directions. Even where I was, I received a bullet in my buttocks. I
only managed to make it outside after he was gone; I was bleeding
profusely; I was in severe pains. I couldn’t walk. It was here at the
hospital that it was discovered that a bullet was lodging in my
buttocks. I have been waiting for the doctor to extract it.”
Amakwa lost the most – Sylvester Ndubueze
“I was not in church that Sunday morning
but our home was very close to the church. When I heard the shooting, I
had thought that it was coming from Bishop’s security men. When it
became sustained, I came to the conclusion that something was amiss.
Then I heard the commotion; I saw survivors running home. Of course, no
one dared to venture out.
But I gathered that the people came in a
Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV). Out of the people who had died, nine are
from Ofufe, three from Umeze kindred while one person is from Ihembosi
town. It is very sad.”
What Ozubulu residents say about the incident
Residents of Ozubulu are united in their grief, collectively declaring the development as sad and unfortunate.
Bandits committed the act – Igwe Nnamdi Fidelis Oruche, Igwe Ozubulu
The monarch of the troubled community told Saturday Sun that bandits carried out the dastard act.
According to him, “I was home that Sunday
morning when I received a distress call to notify me about what was
going on, that a great thing had happened at that part of my community. Bandits
invaded a church and while worship was in progress, killed some people
in cold blood and the bodies of my subject were strewn here and there.
I quickly called the head of Igwe in Council to come over and we quickly notified the state governor about the development.
The only time people from this community
were killed was years ago when some security men were abducted and later
killed somewhere around Awka. But we have never had such gruesome
massacre of this dimension.
We count that government is on top of
this. We have called on the Federal and Anambra State governments, the
police to help us. We have old, cultural way of resolving things like
this; we shall get to the end of it; we shall ensure that the right
things are done so that this kind of thing never happens again.
Describing the incident as a tragedy, a prominent businessman in the community, Engr Peter Ubadigha, owner, Dallas Bakery said “Everyone
is gravely saddened because of what happened here last Sunday. The
woman who rented this shop was my tenant. She was called Paulina, the
daughter of Christopher Udeze, a well known person in this community.
She was a mother of two aged about 48 years.
The husband lives overseas; she was
waiting to join him and was using this shop to keep busy. And now look
at the turn of events.
Another community leader, Anthony Onumonu,
Said “This community is deep in mourning
at the moment, that is the truth; what affected the victims and their
families affected all.
One of the victims is a certain Moses
Uhelu, a newspaper vendor at Uugwuoye market. We go to his newsstand
everyday to read The Sun and other newspapers.
“One of his children was shot dead; his
wife and second child were also wounded. They are in hospital at the
moment. We have no word to describe what happened
Another man who would not give his name
described the incident as a sacrilege. “Since I was born in this
Ozubulu, nothing of what happened last Sunday has ever happened. Imagine
a human being venturing into the house of God, a sacred place for that
matter to kill. We can’t understand this.
“We learnt that among the dead was
Bishop’s father and his step mother was also wounded. We learnt that in
hospital she was asking about her husband not knowing that he was among
the dead. It is only God who will spare us in this land.”
The massacre, the Bishop’s link
Speculations have been on that the
attackers were men on a vengeance mission. They came for the man,
Aloysius Ikegwuonu, known in Ozubulu community and beyond as Bishop; he
hails from Amakwa kindred, his mansion a shouting distance away from the
scene of the killing. It is
believed that what happened on the fateful Sunday morning had its root
deep in South Africa over business deals relating to drugs.
The state governor Chief Willie Obiano had confirmed this in an address to the people of Anmanbra State. “Brothers
and sisters, what happened in Ozubulu was neither a terror attack as we
know it, nor a violent action by some agitators. We are dealing with a
dangerous gang war that has spilled over to Anambra State from another
African country. But this is the last time it will happen under my
watch”
Earlier, a source had revealed to
Saturday Sun about an on-going face off between suspected cartels of
drug dealers perhaps from the community that were operating in South
Africa.
“There has been an on-going drug war
between pockets of dealers from this community operating in South
Africa. They have been killing themselves over the past months following
disagreements. From time to time, they come against one another on
revenge mission.”
He alleged that Bishop had in the not too
distant past, had a bitter disagreement with a certain Chinedu Akpunonu
aka Oborocho over three years ago but couldn’t say if the matter was at
the centre of the latest crisis.
However, he recalled that the matter was
reported to the Igwe of the community and his cabinet for adjudication
and wasn’t sure if it was fully and finally resolved.
Another source, which pleaded anonymity
feared that the killer squad might have come for the Bishop but missed
him. So, it vented its anger on the worshippers for daring to receive
the church he donated to them.
“Bishop was around last weekend. He was
seen in the community; he even played football with some youths at St
Matthew’s school playing field. He does that often once he is around
because he is popular here.
“Perhaps, he got wind of the impending disaster and fled before it happened, who knows. That might account for the reason they
targeted his family and succeeded in killing his father. But I keep
wondering, what would any sane person be seeking to gain by shooting
innocent worshippers in a church?”
In Ozubulu, the situation after the
attack at St. Phillips Catholic Church, which he built, has become
suspicious as the people seem to have been instructed not to talk about
the Bishop and if they do, they would only talk about the roads and
churches he built.
‘The Bishop is clean, loved’
While allegations fly all around, there
has been consistent affirmation of Bishop’s integrity, generosity and
philanthropy by his kinsmen including Igwe Fidelis Nnamdi Oruche, the
traditional ruler of the community.
For instance, a man who simply identified
himself as Emeka admitted that Bishop had issues with a man called
Oborocho a long time ago; but it was no longer an issue that would
warrant killings in the house of God. “The matter happened over three
years ago,” he said. “Then, it was settled and forgotten so it would be
senseless to resurrect it talk less of linking it to what happened in
this community last Sunday.
“That is why I’m confused as to what
transpired. We need to get to the end of this.” Another man from the
area, Sylvester Ndubueze said Bishop was such a philanthropist. “He
built that St Philips church all alone including the parish priest’s
house. He has built similar churches at Egbema and Eziora villages,” he
said.
When Saturday Sun went round the area, it was discovered that Bishop had built two well-paved roads and drainage which he named after himself.
A young man who refused to mention his
name said about the Bishop: “He has lifted many boys in this community.
He gives generously to the widows and the less privileged. Many here
have immensely benefited from him; that is why he is loved”, he said,
citing some more deeds he did just before he headed out in a hurry.
The Chairman of the Umezekwe Ofufe
Welfare Association Amakwa Ozubulu, Mr. Sunday B. Adinnu said their
illustrious son, Chief Aloysius Ikegwuonu was an estate developer based
in South Africa and not a drug peddler as being alleged in some
quarters.
He described Chief Ikegwonu as a God-sent, genuine businessman, an estate developer working in Abuja, Lagos and South Africa.
“As far as we are concerned, our brother
and son is a genuine estate developer who made his money through his
business and has been helping the community. He built three churches in
this community; he constructed many roads and bridges; he has built
houses for widows and has been paying monthly stipend of N20, 000 to the
aged people and widows in the community and distributes bags of rice
and condiments during festive periods like Christmas and Easter.
“Some other people made their money but
refused to help the community but his case is different, he is helping
everybody and that is why our late Elder gave him a title meaning
‘Candle that we use to see’. It is the enemy of the community who caused
this havoc and we know that it has political undertone and security
agents should carry out thorough investigation into the incident,” he
stated.
He recalled that Chief Ikegwuonu visited
the community and went about freely with his bicycle and also played
football with the youths of the community and left on Thursday last week
for South Africa where he is based before the attack on Sunday, warning
that nothing should happen to him.
The Vice Chairman of the village, Mr.
Hyginus Ikegwuonu, said that “Bishop owes nobody as alleged but has been
into philanthropic ventures in the community and the state. “I know
that his hands are clean; he is our son, we know his character. He
doesn’t discriminate, he eats and drinks with the young and the old, the
poor and the rich.”
The monarch, Igwe Oruche, painted a
picture of a Bishop he scantly knew but added that he was well aware of
his philanthropic spirit.
He said that there were scores of
Ozubulu indigenes living abroad who come together under the banner of
Ozubulu Development Union (ODU). He denied that the matter that was
brought before him years ago had anything to do with Bishop and Oborocho
or any other person, preferring to say that it was a leadership tussle
among persons fighting for the soul of the community in South Africa.
“I know Bishop who is called Aloysius
Ikegwuonu. He is a brother and my subject; he was introduced to me
sometime ago. I see him as someone out there looking for his daily
bread.
“Before now, I have
heard about his philanthropy – how he has been helping women in the
community and even the less privileged people. So my impression about
him is not that of a bad man. He is good natured; that is what I know.
“I’m aware that he lives in South Africa
and comes to Nigeria often. But I can’t say this is his business. “To
the best of my knowledge, the matter that came here for adjudication did
not concern the Bishop directly. He was part of it just like every
other person. It was a matter among members of Ozubulu Development Union
based in South Africa. We have so many of such branches around the
world where our people live. So the branch in South Africa was fighting
over who became the president general of ODU.
“The matter was a celebrated case. It
didn’t just happen once. On the day it was finally resolved, over 2,000
people gathered in my palace. All the stakeholders were invited. After
it was finally resolved, everyone proceeded to the church where we all
had thanksgiving.”
He dismissed claims that the community
was home to pockets of drug merchants, insisting that they were
businessmen in search of their daily bread.
“Claims that the community has drug
dealers are spurious,” he fumed. “That is untrue. Our people are
traders. Go to markets in Onitsha and elsewhere and see our people; they
are eminent traders dealing in clothing. That is the much I know.
“However, I must admit that I’m speaking
for myself. I cannot vouchsafe for everyone. As the saying goes, the
mother monkey says she is carrying her younger ones on her back and
wouldn’t know the one that plucked the cherry.”
He also dismissed the allegation that
the attack on St Phillips Catholic was inspired by Boko Haram or people
from Mbaise who were seeking a pound of flesh from Bishop. “What
happened to us here was not caused by Boko Haram or herdsmen seeking to
kill. In fact, we have Hausa people living among us for years. They are
peaceful. We have never had any incident from them.
“It was not inspired by any Mbaise person
either. We do not know how that one came about, the police will get to
the end of it,” he assured.
Earlier, Professor Ileka, pro-life
activist, had admitted that though there had been frequent shooting of
indigenes of the community living in South Africa and their corpses
brought home for burial, but the shooting of worshippers at St. Phillips
Catholic Church was an abomination against the land.
He said that there was no evidence that
Chief Alloysius Ikegwuonwu was involved in drugs trade, insisting that
he was a philanthropist.
Ilika, who was one-time secretary
general of Ozubulu Development Union condemned the killings and refused
to agree Bishop was into drugs business and might have offended his
business partners, who might be his own town’s people.
“He has not been charged or arrested for
such offences. So, how does anyone know? There is a spate of shooting in
South Africa and they bring down the corpses of our people living in
South Africa. The person who built the church resides in South Africa.
There is likely to be dispute and struggle among them but I cannot say
exactly what the issues are.
“But for whatever it is, there is no
single justification for assassinations and invasion of a place of
worship and committing such mass killing of innocent worshippers in a
place of worship”. Ilika described the shooting as an abomination in
Ozubulu and appealed to people to join in immediate prayers of atonement
and reparation to God . He also sympathised with the entire Ozubulu
people, the affected families, Catholic Diocese of Nnewi and the entire
people of Anambra State and called for prayers for young people saying
that the incident required vigilance.
Why our men struck, by ex-drug lord
But contrary to the avalanche of claims, a
repentant drug peddler and an indigene of Ozulubu who identified
himself as Chinedu, formerly based in South Africa, said that no fewer
than 70 indigenes of the community were into drug business in South
Africa. He said the kingpin who introduced them to the trade was a known
son of the community. The same man, he said had brought many people
into the trade.
He described the business as the survival
of the fittest ruled by greed. He said in the tricky trade, one man
could be king of all and would do anything to remain on top including
setting others up, taking over their goods and even killing to take over
their parcel.
Chinedu who is now in the community
undertaking a transport business said: “I went to South Africa to join
in the drug trade. But after some months I was arrested by the police
while I was going to deliver a ‘business parcel’ aka drug to a customer.
So I was jailed four months, after which I returned home because I
could not continue with the business despite the fact that there is
money in it. But there is so much envy and greed in it too.
“In South Africa, the big boys in the
business don’t want the younger ones to grow. I came back because I was
afraid that even if I made the money, I might not live to enjoy it. This
is because they have killed lots of our people in the business over
there due to one misunderstanding or the other. So, what you see
happened here is a fight back by those who have been cheated.”
He said the story of the man from Mbaise in Imo State, who was killed over
drug business was absolutely true. “He was a boy to one of our kingpins
and was killed for business reasons. But I learnt that the issue was
later settled in the community before now. The Mbaise group was
handsomely ‘settled.’
“But this recent killing inside the
church was strange. But for all I know, there are some people all the
way from South Africa who are not happy with ‘some of our big boys here.
That is certain.”
The man, Aloysius Ikegwuonu aka Bishop
The man Aloysius Ikegwuonu (Ebubechukwuzo
Ozubulu) turned 36 recently having been born in 1981. It was a feat
that was celebrated with pomp and ceremony. Aloysius Ikegwuonu is the
son of late Alphonsus Ikegwuonu who was killed in last Sunday’s shooting
at St Philips Catholic Church, Amakwu, Ozubulu. His mother was said to
have died about ten years ago. And now with the exit of his father, he
has come to wear the toga of a full-fledged orphan. According to his
Ozubulu kinsmen, he would have been a Reverend Father but for his poor
family background. He was said to have gained admission into the junior
Seminary School at Nkpor, in Idemili Local Government Area of the State
but had to withdraw halfway and proceeded to Comprehensive Secondary
School, Egbema Ozubulu, C.S.S. which was formerly called College of
Basic Studies, (C.B.S.), a school founded by a certain Reverend Father
Nwabaju Izuchi, living in the United States. He
graduated about 1999/2000, and it was obvious that his father, would
not be able to afford the financial requirement needed to progress in
the seminary and achieve his ambition of becoming a priest. It was
learnt that Bishop was very close to his late mother that he often
helped her in her petty trade at Orie Akpu market, near Ugwu Orie Bus
Stop, Amakwa Ozubulu.
In his growing up days, he was mostly
called ‘Aloyee’ which comes down to stretching the short form of his
name Aloy. But when he began to make money and name, he adopted the name
Bishop, a moniker that has simply stuck.
He grew up like every other child, in his
native Amakwu village, Ozubulu expectedly remaining anomalous although
with a promise that he might be popular in the years ahead. Primary
school over, he was admitted into Comprehensive Secondary School, C.S.S.
which was formerly called College of Basic Studies, C.B.S.) Egbema
Ozubulu, a school founded by a certain Reverend Father Nwabaju Izuchi,
living in the United States. In
his final year in 1999, he was made a senior prefect, an appointment
that led the leadership qualities in him to blossom. However, he was
said to have graduated from the school in the year 2000. His
sudden wealth shortly after travelling to South Africa in 2001 and his
philanthropic activities took many by surprise but the people could not
ask questions as the gestures were allegedly coming alongside threat to
lives.
In Ozubulu, the situation after the
attack at St. Phillips Catholic Church, which he built, has become
suspicious as the people seem to have been instructed not to talk about
the Bishop and if they do, they would only talk about the roads and
churches he built. Soon after his graduation, he signaled his intention
to go into business. Soon he got contacts and was apprenticed to a
business owner as the case may be. Soon after, he travelled to South
Africa to prospect for opportunities. While there, he struck gold. And
when he returned home in the months that followed, it was clear that he
had become a man of means. It wasn’t long before his friends and other
lads most of whom were indigenes of Ozubulu flocked to him seeking
assistance on how to fish. Not
too long after, Bishop was said to have forayed into other businesses
including real estate, with his firm spreading its tentacles into Abuja,
Lagos and South Africa. Those who know him too well say he is shrewd
and astute in his business.
At the moment, he is said to have pursued
a career in philanthropy using a foundation, which he set up as a
formidable platform. And so far, he had built and donated three churches
in his native Ozubulu, renovated schools, donated to charity and
assisted many youths in his community to gain better life. And since
then, he has maintained a steady climb up the social ladder.
He is said to be married and has children
who are living outside the country contrary to speculations that they
were killed sometime ago.