Who Killed Anambra APGA Chieftain?

Yet another gruel murder in Anambra state! Just a couple of days after that of Citizen Okorie Aneke in the neighboring Enugu state. What a shame!

Chief Chukwudi Okafor, Chairman, Association of Ex-council Chairmen of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra state, was in the evening of Tuesday May 27, murdered in cold blood in his Umuawulu home in Awka South local government. Okafor was killed in front of St Joseph ’s Catholic Church Umuawulu some meters away from his house by assassins.

KlinReports gathered that Okafor’s killers had laid ambush in his country home, but, on noticing strange movements at his gate, he directed his security men not to open the gate. But when he decided to drive away from home towards Nibo, a nearby community, Okafor drove into an ambush by his killers at the Catholic Church.

Okafor’s murder which occurred, about 7 pm on the fateful day was reportedly sponsored by his rivals over some business transaction gone awry. Still, some people think that the assassination of the APGA could have been politically motivated.

Okafor’s killers did not remove anything from the vehicle. And the neighborhood suspected that his killers were assassins hired by those who are afraid of his rising profile in business and politics.

Okafor’s killers opened fire on him, hitting him through the glass of his black Nissan Armada sport utility vehicle (SUV). The vehicle, subsequently, fell into a ditch, leading to the killers moving in to finish him up.

Until his assassination, Chief Okafor was a rich businessman with interests in the maritime sector. He was, also, one time Chairman of Awka South council area, as well as a patron of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Anambra state council.

Two other occupants of the vehicle who were also hit, one on the shoulder while the other fainted as a result of shock, are said to be receiving treatment in a hospital in Awka.

As it were, the Umuawulu community has urged Peter Obi government in the state and the police to quickly track down the killers of her son.

Meanwhile, Anambra State Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Agboola Clover Oshodi, has visited the scene with other top police officers, even as the state police commissioner, Mr. Amusa Bello, although on a trip outside the state, vows to nab the assassins.

While confirming the killing, Bello informed newsmen that probably the killers of Chief Okafor may have attempted to kidnap him but due to the resistance that Okafor showed, they had to kill him. That is, the police boss is contemplating whether Okafor’s killers were assassins.

Bello said the command has commenced manhunt for the gunmen and that major flash points in the state and police commands in South-South and South-East states have been alerted on the incident.

On its part, Governor Obi, through his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Valentine Obienyem, regrets Okafor’s murder, saying: "Rather than mourn this illustrious son of the state, depraved and heartless politicians, I am sure, will use his death to play politics. It is instructive to note that this is the first crime taking place in the state in the last one month, such that one cannot justifiably cite it as evidence of insecurity.

"We should understand that vibrant and dynamic states such as Anambra always witness such a criminal act, but I assure you that government will sustain the present gains it has recorded on security. The governor had already directed the Commissioner of Police to fish out the assassins.

"While Gov. Obi expresses his condolences to the family, he calls on the criminals in the state to pack out, as an all-out war declared on them will be sustained." He also revealed that as part of the security measures being taken, that the government had taken delivery of some Armored Personnel Carriers (APC) for the state police command.