Anthony Iwuoma
As the South-east continues to reel under shock and fear, following the killing of Dr. Chike Akunyili, the husband of the late former minister of Information and director general of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Prof. Dora Akunyili, the former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, has said some of those killed alongside Akunyili were headless.
Akunyili was reportedly shot dead on Tuesday, with seven others by yet to be identified gunmen at Nkpor in the Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The gruesome murder has drawn wide condemnation across the land.
Expressing “deep sadness” over the killing, President Muhammadu Buhari said the perpetrators will not escape the judgement of God and man.
A statement by presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, partly said: “The President shares the pain of the offspring of Prof. and Dr Akunyili, their families and friends, whose lives will never remain the same after the inhuman and reprehensible act that happened in Anambra State.”
Also, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, condemned the killing in very clear terms and urged security agents to fish out perpetrators of the heinous act.
On his part, former governor of the state, Peter Obi, said the killing of Akunyili came as a rude shock to him and the Agulu community, adding that the heads of some of those killed with Akunyili were blown off.
Obi spoke to journalists at in a joint press conference with the monarch of the town, Igwe Innocent Obodoakor in Akunyili’s Agulu home town.
He said: “I was lucky to get the first flight, and I landed in Owerri and moved straight to Iyienu Hospital in Onitsha, where his (Akunyili’s) son and I identified him in the mortuary.
“He was not the only victim; there was his driver and police security aide. About nine people in all were involved in the shooting on Tuesday, and some of them were headless, and it is now a problem identifying them.”
Meanwhile, controversy has continued to trail the identity of the killers.
Some are variously accusing, bandits, unknown gunmen and politicians.
However, many fingers are pointing at members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, who are insisting that the gubernatorial election slated for November 6 this year in the state must not hold.
The group, however, has since absolved itself of any role in the heinous act.