Ozubulu massacre: Anambra monarch reveals how problem started

The traditional of Ozubulu, Igwe Nnamdi Oruche, has revealed how the problem in the town, which consumed scores of people started.

 

Recall that a gunman had on August 6 attacked St Philip’s Catholic Church, Ozubulu in Anambra State, killing several worshipers.

The royal father recalled that the problem in his domain started about 10 years ago when Ozubulu Development Union, ODU, which has a branch in South Africa, wanted to elect a new president-general there.

Recalling the genesis of the mayhem, Igwe Oruche said, “This created a major disagreement over who would be their leader in that country and it eventually tore them apart.

“But the overall President General both in Ozubulu and in Diaspora, Norbert Anigbogu, intervened by inviting the two factions back home for a peaceful resolution of the problem.

“When they returned, a traditional oath was prepared for them to take in order to enthrone brotherliness among them and to further quell the rift between the factions, but most of them refused to take the oath on the basis that they are Christians.

“At that point, an alternative was made and a Catholic priest, Rev. Father Chidolue was invited to perform the Christian aspect of oath-taking, which was done and everyone appreciated it.

“But later, the conflict was rekindled by some of them who reneged on the agreement made during the oath-taking, alleging that since I, the traditional ruler, was not present during the exercise, the reconciliation was null, void and improper.”

The royal father called on the state and Federal Governments to assist the community in tracking the killer squad and bring them to book, promising that the people of the community would not rest on their oars until the needful was done.

“We have an old culture, so our traditional deities will bring them out when the rituals are done by us at the appropriate time,” Igwe Oruche said.