New Year: Five People Killed in Anambra
On Tuesday, Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State spoke out against the recent killings of five people in the state. According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), four youths, identified as Onyiebo Okoye, Kenechukwu Okeke, Jude Ebenezar, and Obinna Maduka, were murdered in the Okpuno community in the Awka South Local Government Area on 1 January. The following day, the President General of Obosi, Ike Okolo, was shot and killed at a petrol station in the Idemili North Local Government Area.
Soludo has described the killings as cult-related and has vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice. In a statement, Soludo’s spokesperson, Christian Aburime, said that the governor has reassured the public that the cult gangs responsible will be tracked down and dealt with decisively in accordance with the law, even if they have fled the town.
The governor has called on residents to go about their normal duties and enjoy the holiday season, saying that the incidents were isolated cases that would be addressed by the administration. However, the frequent, deadly attacks in the state, which have been linked to the Biafra agitation, have contributed to the deteriorating security situation in Anambra and other South-east states. Soludo’s administration, which has been in power for approximately nine months, has previously offered gunmen in the state an amnesty and rehabilitation in exchange for laying down their arms.
