The All Progressives Congress (APC) has exonerated the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) from the criminal activities in the state, especially the gruesome murder of the former traditional ruler of Mkpunando community in Aguleri, Chief Alex Edozieuno.
Edozieuno was one of the 12 monarchs suspended last year by Governor Willie Obiano for accompanying Prince Arthur Eze, an international oil mogul, to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, to see President Muhammadu Buhari. He was subsequently dethroned by the governor.
On Friday, September 10, Edozieuno was gruesomely murdered alongside his driver, whose name was given as Chukwuemeka, near Ezu Bridge, Otuocha, Anambra East Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Director General of Andy Uba Campaign Council, Paul Chukwuma, and the state chairman of the party, Basil Ejidike, at a press conference in Awka, the state capital, alleged that Edozieuno’s murder was politically motivated.
They alleged that there was more to his death than meets the eye since he was murdered not long after he publicly joined their party, the APC.
The APC is insisting that the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and some officials of the state government should be made to explain to Ndi Anambra what happened to the late monarch.
The party accused APGA of sponsoring the hoodlums that have been terrorising the state, even as it advised that IPOB should be extricated in the dastardly act.
APC is also suggesting that the alleged hoodlums are already being deployed by APGA to muzzle political opponents as the November 6 governorship election draws near.
Chukwuma said: “I am happy that this event took place on a weekend. If this had happened, maybe, on a Monday, they would have shifted it to other people.
“We have had instances where criminals under the watch of the state government will go and cause havoc and they will turn around to blame IPOB.
“I want to use this opportunity to make it clear that we must distinguish and differentiate criminals from genuine IPOB members who are agitating for one thing or the other.
“We cannot be fooled anymore by criminals taking undue advantage of the situation in the South East to cause havoc. We request the security agencies to please come to our aid.
“The people in charge of APGA in this state have also boasted that they are in charge of the security apparatus in the state. They have boasted that they could do anything they like, just as a federal lawmaker boasted that no party, especially the APC, should be allowed to campaign in Anambra.
“My question now is: what are our security agencies doing? Are they waiting until all of us are killed before they start investigations on these issues? I hope and pray that the good Lord will grant the soul of Chief Alex Edozieuno a peaceful rest.”
Ejidike also added: “There have been threats; serious threats from Obiano’s administration.”
However, the Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, C. Don Adinuba, has described the allegations as baseless. He said APGA has a record of APC members’ violent activities in the state.
“Some people with notorious records of violence will be accusing us of violence. All the people accused of killing the Igwes – the lawyer and his wife, are today in APC. But, whether they’re responsible for the deaths of Igwe and his wife, is what I don’t know.
“But they’re believed to have killed them. All of them are in APC today. The people accused of killing a musician from Ekwulummili are also in APC,” Adinuba fired back.