Tears flowed like a stream yesterday at Ozubulu in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State as five gunmen invaded St. Philip Catholic Church about 7:30a.m. and shot indiscriminately at the worshippers. When the gunmen left, 19 of those attending the early morning Mass, among them children, lay dead. Witnesses said that 15 people died instantly while four out of the 18 who were injured and were taken to Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi died later. New Telegraph learnt that the shooting was as a result of a fracas between drug barons based in South Africa, who are indigenes of the town. At NAUTH, relatives of the victims thronged the hospital while some were weeping uncontrollably.

Doctors and nurses at the hospital were trying to save the lives of the injured ones. Sympathisers blocked the old Nnewi Onitsha Road as everybody was trying to get to the hospital to find out whether his or her relation was a victim. Efforts to see and speak with the victims were rebuffed by security officials at the hospital. An indigene of Ozubulu, Mr. Ike Ofomata, said the gunmen stormed the church while the mass was going on and started shooting and people started running and screaming. He said: “There was absolute chaos. At first, I was confused and I immediately lay flat on the floor.
Two seconds after I lay down, a young man who was beside me during the service was shot in the ear. He screamed and fell beside me and died on the spot.” Though police said that only eight people were killed, witnesses said that 19 people were killed. Among the dead was, Pa Akunwafor Ikegwuonwu, the father of a South Africa-based businessman, Aloysius, who built and donated the church to Nnewi Diocese.

Pa Ikegwuonwu’s wife was shot in her right arm and still on admission at the teaching hospital. One of the survivors, Mr. Stephen Ohamadike, said the gunmen entered the church as they were about to begin prayer of the faithful. He said: “Those of us who were to say the prayers of the faithful had just assembled at the altar and I had Number 2 which meant that I was to say the prayer for Nigeria.

Suddenly, I saw someone who was putting on a cap with others shooting indiscriminately inside the church. “There was pandemonium and in the midst of the confusion, I just lay down on the floor. The officiating priest and the Mass servers quickly left the altar and the Mass came to an abrupt end. “I counted 11 dead people and many were wounded.

I used the vehicle belonging to Pa Akunwafor Ikegwuonwu to take him and his wife and others to Evans Hospital where the doctors advised us to go to the teaching hospital. I used the car to convey many other people to the hospital before I came back to Amakwa.”

The parish priest of the church, Rev Father Jude Onwuaso, declined comment on the incident, saying that the Bishop had directed that only the Diocesan Director of Communications should speak on the matter. It was learnt that the businessman (the man at the centre of the crisis) had been in town for a while and only left a few hours before the invaders stormed the town. Other sources said that the gunmen, who invaded the church with the hope of getting the businessman there, stormed his home and killed his father before getting away.

Although worshipers said five men invaded the church, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Garba Umar, said it was only a gunman. Umar said the attacker must be an indigene of the area. According to him, after shooting his targeted victims, the attacker still killed and wounded other worshippers.

He said: “We gathered that worshippers at 6a.m. Sunday Mass at St. Philip Catholic Church, Ozubulu were in the service when a gunman dressed in black attire covering his face with a fez cap entered the church and moved straight to a particular direction and opened fire.

“From our findings, it is very clear that the person who carried out the attack must be an indigene of the area.” Umar said though no arrest had been made but the police already learnt that the attack followed a quarrel between two natives of Ozubulu residing abroad. While describing the act as sacrilegious, the commissioner said it was wrong for the perpetrators to extend their quarrel to the church. According to him, such conduct shows the people behind it do not fear God. While promising that those behind the act would be brought to justice, Umar said the police had launched a manhunt to fish out the culprits.

The Catchist of St Philips Parish, Mr. Calistus Ikeanumba, told journalists that (Click on the link below to read more)
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