More facts emerging from today’s shooting and killing of 20 or more innocent and defenseless parishioners at St Philips Catholic Church in Ozubulu Community, Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State have compelled us to issue this second and updated statement.

Police side: As expected, the Anambra State Police Command just hours ago falsely claimed that “only eight persons were killed in an attack carried out by a gunman in a shooting resulted from a drug gang war between two bothers from the same town (Ozubulu) that are living outside the country”. We firmly hold that the said Police angle is riddled with a litany of lies and contradictions.

The Anambra State Police Command is, therefore, called upon to answer the following questions: What is a criminal/drug gang? Can an individual or a gunman constitute a criminal/drug gang? Who massively killed and maimed dozens of parishioners; a gunman or gunmen? Can a lone gunman embark on such assassination operation or reprisal killing? Since the State CP admitted that it was a drug gang war, are there no previous casualties and violent parties involved? He did the CP get his mangled casualty figure of eight deaths and how many were injured? What about the father of the escaped target victim? Was he not killed alongside others inside the Church or did he survive?

Alleged involvement of the present Governor/Government of Anambra State: The Governor/Government of Anambra State should provide answers to the following questions: Is the said escaped victim of the failed assassination (Mr. Aloysius Ikegwuonu/alleged drug baron) known to the Governor/Government of Anambra State? Is his source of income also known or not known to the same Governor/Government of Anambra State? Was there a time in the months past that the Governor/Government of Anambra State visited to Ozubulu to commission a road built by him? Was there also a time the same Governor/Government visited him to commission St Philip Catholic Church built by him? Is it known or not known to the Governor/Government of Anambra State that the troublesome/questionable billionaire flew back to South Africa last night? Have the present Governor of Anambra State not visited Ozubulu up to four times at the instance of Mr. Aloysius Ikegwuonu?

Was the Governor/Government of Anambra State aware or not aware of the reprisal threat by members of Mr. Ikegwuonu’s rival drug gang working for an Mbaise man from Imo State to revenge for the killing in South Africa of their members by gang members loyal to the said Bishop Ebubechukwu of Ozubulu; to the extent of vowing not to stop until they kill 200 indigenes of Ozubulu and Bishop Ebubechukwu himself in revenge? Is it correct to say that the Governor/Government of Anambra State recently made Mr. Aloysius Ikegweonu (Bishop Ebubechukwu) a political leader in Ozubulu? Was the Government of Anambra State involved in the relocation from South Africa to Nigeria (Ozubulu) of Mr. Ikegweonu where he was alleged to have abruptly relocated few years ago so as to escape justice?

The Catholic Church of Nnewi Diocese has the following questions to answer: Who built St Philips Catholic Church, Amakwa, Ozubulu? What is the builder’s source of income and is it not known to the Diocese? Is it not correct to say that the Church building in question is a house of Satan with Satanic well filled or flooded with the blood of the murdered innocent people and shepherded by the hands of iniquities? Where are the Catholic moral values and dogmas? Between Heaven and Hell Fire, who expressly receive all the prayers and offerings made inside the Church building and altar of St Philips Catholic Church at Amakwa, Ozubulu? Can the Catholic Church morally and legally be exonerated from culpability over today’s massacre at St Philips Catholic Church building at Ozubulu?

•Being text of a statement issued late on Sunday in Onitsha by the Int’l Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law (Intersociety). It was signed by Board Chairman Emeka Umeagbalasi; Head, Campaign & Publicity Department, Barr Chinenye Akubuilo; and Head, Civil Liberties & Rule of Law Programme, Barr Chinwe Umeche.

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