*44 victims get cash relief *As diocese sets up casualty charity fund c’ttee *Investigation on killings ‘ll be thorough — Obiano
By Vincent Ujumadu, Chimaobi Nwaiwu & Edokwe Onyinyechi
Nnewi—THE
Anambra State Police Command has invited Chief Aloysius Ikegwuonu, who
suspected assailants were said to be looking for when they attacked St
Philip’s Catholic Church, Amakwa Ozubulu penultimate Sunday.
Ozubulu church
Ikegwuonu’s father was among the 13 people who lost their lives during the attack in which nearly 30 people were wounded.
Police
Public Relations Officer, PPRO, in Anambra State, Mrs. Nkiru Nwode,
said, yesterday, that Ikegwuonu, popularly called ‘Bishop’, is expected
to appear at the police headquarters in Awka on Friday.
Ikegwuonu, who left the state before the attack on the church he built
for his community, was said to have returned to the state last Saturday
and attended the first Mass at St Philip’s on Sunday. He declined to
speak to anybody after the church service in which the Secretary to the
Anambra State Government, SSG, Professor Solo Chukwulobelu, also
attended as part of a ceremony to reopen the church.
Nwode said the invitation to Ikegwuonu could not be taken to mean arrest, adding that the police had no reason to arrest him.
44 victims get cash relief
This
came as Catholic Diocese of Nnewi, yesterday, set up a 10-man Ozubulu
Casualty Charity Fund Committee to handle the welfare of the victims of
the attack.
Meanwhile, 44 victims of the attack were, yesterday,
given N50,000 each at various hospitals they were admitted including
Nnewi, Ozubulu and Oba, by the diocese to alleviate their problems .
Members
of the committee are Monsignor Patrick Ezeobata, chairman; Rev Fr Jude
Onwuaso; Rev Fr Donald Chukwudolue; Rev Fr Joe Onyema; Fr Cajetan
Obodozie; Brother Cyprian Oneni; Sister Theresa Martin; Mrs Juliana
Arazu; Mrs Uju Azuka and Dr Sylvester Igwilo.
Catholic Bishop of
Nnewi Diocese, Most Rev Hilary Odili Okeke, said the committee would
visit all the victims in different hospitals to know their needs with a
view to offering a helping hand to all of them. Okeke disclosed that the
committee has the mandate to ensure that every help provided by groups
and individuals to the victims would be deposited into a central account
called Ozubulu Casualty Charity Fund provided by the committee. He
said: “Many people and groups in the church are helping the victims. The
state government has promised to pay into that account. These people
eat and that is why we give them money. The families of the dead will
not be forgotten and the committee was also charged to be accountable in
the discharge of its duties.”
Reacting to Ozubulu Youths
Association, OYA, protest over the reopening of the church for service,
while investigation is still being conducted, Bishop Okeke queried
whether the protesters were Christians at all.
‘Bishop’ Aloysius Ikegwuonu, Main Target of Ozubulu Church Attack, Visits Hospitalized Victim
“If
those protesters are Christians, they should not complain because they
should know that we have to continue to worship God in every situation.”
Investigation on killings ‘ll be thorough— Obiano
Also
yesterday, Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State assured Ndi Anambra
that his administration will leave no stone unturned at ensuring prompt
prosecution of those behind the killing of innocent worshippers at
Ozubulu.
The governor gave the assurance during a re-dedication
and blessing of the church last Sunday by the Catholic Bishop of Nnewi
Diocese, Most Rev. Okeke. The governor, who was represented by Secretary
to the State Government, Prof. Solo Chukwulobelu, sympathised with the
families of those who died in the incident as well as those that
sustained injuries.
He assured them that Anambra State Government would do everything possible to ensure that they obtain justice over the matter.
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