Ozubulu Massacre: Community’s youths say the will not avenge the killings

Youths of Ozubulu community in Anambra State, where not less than 13 worshippers were killed on August 6 at the St. Philip’s Catholic Church by unknown gunmen have said they would  not avenge the killings.

The youth, under the auspices of Ozubulu Youths Association, has daid the leave vengeance in the hands of God.

It said, “We will not take the law into our own hands. We have handed the killing of our parents, brothers and sisters who died in the St. Philip’s Catholic Church attack on August 6, 2017 to God, but we are willing and ready to fully cooperate with the security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the heinous crime against our people.”

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A side of the story states that the gunmen from a neighbouring state to Anambra unvaded the community to attack and retaliate the killing of their kinsman in South Africa over a business dispute with an Ozubulu indigene.

But rising from an emergency meeting of the OYA National Executive Council on Monday, the group maintained that it would handle the matter in a civil way, PUNCH reported.

The group charged security agencies to carry out a thorough investigation into the massacre and enjoined the Anambra State Government and security agencies to improve security in the state.

The group’s position was expressed in a communiqué signed by its National Chairman and Secretary,  Messrs Emeka Anaekwe, and Val Iwuchukwu, respectively.

Copies of the communiqué were forwarded to the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ozubulu; the traditional ruler of Ozubulu, Obi Fedelis Oruche; the President General of Ozubulu Development Union; the Department of State Services; Ekwusigo Local Government Area; and the Transition Committee Chairman of Ekwusigo council.

The statement read in part, “We plead with the security agencies to kindly release all the innocent people arrested in connection with that black Sunday incident at Ofufe Amakwa, Ozubulu.

“We most sincerely commend the state and the Federal Government delegations that came to Ozubulu to sympathise with the entire people of our town and the Obi of Ozubulu, Obi Nnamdi Oruche, Ezeugodinobi, Okife II.

“We the youth of Ozubulu wish to set the records straight and state as follows: that Ozubulu town is a peaceful and loving town that welcomes indigenes and non-indigenes from various parts of the country as brothers and sisters.

“We totally condemn in its entirety the killing of those innocent worshippers at St. Philip’s Catholic Church, Ozubulu.

“We also want to make it clear that we are not killers, drug peddlers nor kidnappers as being rumoured; we are good and law-abiding citizens of Nigeria, who do not and cannot take the law into our own hands. We, therefore, ask for justice  so that the souls of the departed can rest in peace.”