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THEY KILLED THREE INNOCENT WORKERS, LABELED THEM GUNMEN – ANAMBRA COMMUNITY ACCUSES SOLUDO’S AGUNECHEMBA
The community of Owerre-Ezukala in Anambra State’s Orumba South Local Government Area is outraged by the brutal killing of three workers by the state’s security outfit, Agunechemba, who labelled them as unknown gunmen.
The community described the workers, who were from Imo State and Isuofia, Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s community, as innocent. They were in the area for a building project when they were mistakenly killed during a raid aimed at kidnappers and ritual killers.
Two of the victims from Imo State, precisely from Umueze 1 in Ehime Mbano LGA, were identified as Malachy Chimaobi Iwuanyanwu and Odinkalu Chinonso, while the person from Isuofia was identified as Kosisochukwu. His father reportedly died four years ago.
The community has condemned the operation, stating that it lacked intelligence and resulted in the killing of innocent people. Residents are calling on Governor Chukwuma Soludo to ensure that the security operatives follow the rules of engagement to prevent further harm to innocent lives.
Nine individuals suspected to be involved in kidnapping and ritual killings were arrested on Thursday during a joint operation by the Agunechemba Security Squad and local vigilantes in Anambra State.
SaharaReporters learnt that the operation targeted hideouts in Owerre-Ezukala located in the Orumba South Local Government Area of the state.
However, the community expressed their frustration on various media platforms, lamenting that the operation was poorly planned and that those arrested were not criminals.
Furthermore, the security operatives were accused of killing three individuals who had been brought to the community for legitimate work.
“We didn’t want re-emergence of the dark days of genocidal OTA and Bakkasi Boys and their countless indiscriminate killings and property violence arising from false labeling and hearsay conclusions and evidence as well as ‘trial by ordeal,’” a resident of the community lamented, calling on Governor Chukwuma Soludo to ensure that the security operatives do their job well.
The eyewitnesses who spoke in Igbo, in several audio messages, shared on WhatsApp platform testified that some innocent people were killed during the raid by Anambra State security agents. They cited the case of three casual workers who came to work on a building in the community and were brutally killed during the raid.
They also said that the raid was carried out inside the community, and not in the forest where kidnappers hide.
“This is a very terrible invasion of an innocent community, killing, maiming and destroying whatever was on their way. Alas! Anambra State has toed the line of Imo State! Soludo has toed the line of Hope! Blood everywhere! It has started…Surugede…the dance of the spirits…many more will die,” said one of the voices.
“The truth is that they (Agunechemba) came to our community and we are thanking the governor for all his efforts to stem the tide of insecurity in the state but the truth that I must tell the people calling me is that the Agunechemba Squad came to our place in there hundreds with so many vehicles but the truth is that in all the things that happened, happened on the road,” another community member narrated.
Continuing he said: “If you watch the videos very well, you will see that it was on an untarred road from Owerre-Ezukala to Awlaw community in Enugu State. That’s where they packed and raided. There is a forest between these two communities and these communities are in two different local government areas in two different states.
“That bush is where the gunmen are hiding. I want to tell you that the government security outfit didn’t enter the bush where the gunmen are. Among those arrested are innocent people. My investigation revealed that the three people they killed are people who came to work on a house being constructed by an indigene of the community.
“Those guys were doing POP and fixing tiles in the house. They were killed in the house along the road. They didn’t kill them inside the bush. If they claimed they entered the bush, they should show us the vehicles they recovered, the guns recovered. They should show us the charms that they recovered because those gunmen wore charms on their waists. It is painful that innocent people are being killed for committing no crimes. As a matter of fact, there are two NYSC corp members they arrested also but were later released. They were arrested in the school where they were posted.”
Another resident who gave his name as Monday Ogulu, said: “The operation this security outfit came for is not for our good because if they came for our good, they would have gone after the people they claimed they were looking for. Let me say the truth; these three boys they killed in Egede, were artisan working in a new building under construction.
“These three boys they killed were in the uncomplicated building they were working on. They were not armed – they were neither with gun nor machete. They did not exchange gunshots with any of the victims. I heard that these three boys are from Kogi State.
“This fat man in the video they’re circulating is staying in Ogbunka and is selling gas. A tipper driver that was on early morning trip came to Father’s House and they grabbed the boy and carried his motorcycle. Another person called Endtaker who is not well, they took him. The person they broke his head – Martin from Owerri-Ezekalu they grabbed him but when they got to father’s house they dropped him. We are not supporting any form of criminality but please they should work with credible intelligence and information.”
Meanwhile one Raymond Iwuagwu from Umueze 1, Ehime Mbano, has identified two of the victims as brothers while the third person he said hails from Isuofia, Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s community in Aguata local government area.
Raymond, who spoke to SaharaReporters on Monday, stated that contrary to the criminal tag by Governor Soludo’s security unit, the victims were not criminals in any way.
He identified the victims as Odinaka Chinonso and Malachy Chimaobi Iwuanyanwu, adding that they were all tilers and had no criminal records.
“Malachy Chimaobi Nnadi, I had a meeting with him this January. People were praising him and I have known him from childhood. He was very humble, diligent and respectful. He was always there for people and was very good with the tiling work he was doing. So he went with another person from the same community called Odinaka Chinonso. They went to do tiling work for somebody they said is a Reverend at Owerre-Ezukala in Anambra State. Unfortunately, this security outfit newly inaugurated by by Governor Soludo went house to house to raid and those people were killed.
“They were killed there in the house where they were working. That is extrajudicial killing. Even from videos emanating from the community, the people were attesting that they were skilled workers who came to work in the community. They were there for about a week before the incident. Honestly, they deserve justice. In the same incident, they also killed somebody from Isuofia who was also working at the same site doing handrail. Odinaka was a married man with children.
“Malachy is my kinsman, a boy I have known from his childhood, the second son in his family. He was humble, respectful, self-contented and willing to help others. He was considered one of the best tilers in my community. He was highly commended and recommended for his professional skills and attitude by all those he had worked for.
“I had the opportunity to speak with him for about 15 minutes in January, and I encouraged him and asked for any area where I could support him. Little did I know that such a promising life would be cut short in such a manner and most painfully tagged UGM (unknown gunmen).
“He had no criminal record anywhere. Our community is still having a meeting. I have also spoken with one of his brothers who is also a councillor representing us. I have also notified our representative at the National Assembly, Hon Chike Okafor.”
Lamenting the extrajudicial killings, Raymond said the incident has left their families so devastated.
“It has to be investigated and justice served,” he insisted.
Meanwhile, Raymond revealed that the Anambra State government released the corpses of the victims to his community on Friday.
A video clip obtained by SaharaReporters on Monday shows where one of the personnel of the state security outfit was boasting about how he killed two of the victims inside the house where they were working.
Meanwhile, when SaharaReporters reached out to Mr Christian Aburime, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Chukwuma Soludo on the incident, he denied the allegations.
“It is not true; our security outfit is well trained. They cannot kill innocent persons,” he assured. “However, I will get to the community to hear from them. I will still get back to you.”
As at the time of filing this report, he had yet to get back to SaharaReporters.
Efforts to speak with the State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, were unsuccessful as he didn’t answer his calls.
