By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were on Sunday reportedly attacked by gunmen during a meeting in Uruagu Ward 3, Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

A member of the party from the ward, Soamdina Ofoma, was killed in the course of the attack.

The meeting, which was said to be in preparation to the forthcoming governorship election, was already in progress when the gunmen struck, dispersing party faithful with a hail of bullets, injuring several party members.

Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Ikenga Tochukwu, said it happened at about 7pm on Sunday.

He said: “The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Tony Olofu, has ordered the investigation into a shooting incident at Uruagu Community, Nnewi on 26/9/2021.

“Preliminary investigation reveals the attackers of about 7pm on 26/9/2021 along Uruagu community started shooting sporadically. Two persons sustained gunshot injuries were taken to hospital. One of the victims who wss later identified as Mr Somadina Oforma was confirmed dead by the doctor on duty while the other is receiving treatment in the hospital.”

In his reaction, the candidate of the APC in the forthcoming governorship election, Senator Andy Uba, said that the attack was politically motivated.

He called on the state governor, Chief Willie Obiano, to rise against the spate of killings in the state.

Uba in a press release by his campaign organization and signed by the Director of Media, Hon Victor Ogene, stressed that it is not the first time its party members would be attacked.

He said: “The late Oforma was, without any provocation, shot dead inside the APC office at Uruagu Ward 3, Nnewi North Local Government Area of the state, while holding a meeting with other party faithful, many of whom sustained varying degrees of injury.

“Uba has however promised to immortalize the deceased, and also reach out to the injured.

“We recall that, on July 31, 2021 at Oba, Idemili South LGA, unknown gunmen, operating in similar fashion, accosted and killed Mr. Cosmas Eze, our party’s acting Assistant Secretary for the local government area, and dispossessed him of the APC branded Sienna vehicle he was driving. The late Mr. Eze hailed from Akwu Ukwu in the same council area.

“The seemingly targeted attack on the APC was to go a notch higher, when on Saturday, September 10, 2021 the traditional ruler of Mkpunando in Anambra East LGA, Igwe Alex Edozieuno, and his driver, Chukwuemeka, were waylaid and killed.

“It is instructive to note that the late Igwe Edozieuno had one month before his brutal death joined the APC, after being deposed by the Obiano administration.

“Whilst not imputing any direct motive to these attacks, we are however constrained to observe that our party, the APC, has borne the brunt of majority of them, leaving us to wonder when political contest in Anambra State degenerated to the point of opposition party members living in fear.”

Anambra APC urged Governor Obiano, as the Chief Security Officer of the state, and other law enforcement agencies, including the police, the Department of State Security (DSS) and the Civil Defense Corps, to urgently take steps to halt the growing reign of terror in the state.

Update news