The commissioner of police in Anambra State, Ikioye Orutugu, has declared a manhunt after the killers of the president-general of Ogidi community of Idemili-North LGA of Anambra State, Chief Ikwuka Okoye.
Sources have said that Chief Okoye was waylaid somewhere at Ebenezer Anglican Church, Uru village, Ogidi on Friday evening where he had gone to conclude arrangements to organise the funeral ceremony of his mother at the church’s field.
The burial of his mother is slated to be held this Friday.
Sir Okoye was said to have been waylaid and killed along with a woman, one Mrs Ebele Onuigbo, who was also said to be in his car with him when the gunmen stormed them as they were about returning to their neighbouring Abor village in Ogidi town.
The incident, according to sources, was carried out by members of Aye (NBM) cult group who were said to be avenging the arrest and killing of their leader, Emma Emasco earlier on Tuesday, February 3.
Emasco, according to sources, was a notorious cultist, who allegedly had killed over 46 persons in the community and had been on the wanted-list of the Ogidi community vigilante group.
He was eventually said to have been arrested by the town’s vigilante team on February 3 and was shot on the leg by the operatives.
Emma was said to have confessed to have killed 17 persons in the community during interrogation by the vigilantes.
He had told the vigilante operatives that he was the only surviving member of his cult team, except one of his gang members he simply called Guttuso, but, who he said has been incapacitated and has been staying indoors since a long time now because he is suffering kidney infection challenges.
In a statement on Saturday, spokesperson of the Anambra State police command (PPRO), SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said that a team of the command’s anti-crime operatives had already taken over the scene where Okoye and his co-occupant of his car were gruesomely killed.
Ikenga also said that the police operatives were working with some “eyewitnesses” of the gruesome killing to ensure that the killers were arrested to face the consequences of their actions according to the laws of the country.
“The Anambra State Police Command assures members of the public that all efforts are being intensified to bring those responsible to justice. Residents are urged to remain calm and cooperate with the police as investigations continue,” Ikenga added.
