- Governor Obiano Places N20m Bounty On Killers
The dastardly murder of Dr. Chike Akunyili, the widower of the former Director-General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Dora Akunyili has sparked nationwide angst, further spotlighting the grave insecurity concerns in the Nigeria’s Southeast, even as the rest of the nation is not better off.
Akunyili, a cerebral medical doctor and Chief Executive Officer of St Leo Hospital, Enugu was heading to Umuoji in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, when he was shot dead alongside his driver and a police escort at Nkpor junction, Anambra State on Tuesday evening. Aside the three, it was reported that five other persons were also killed by gunmen in the area on Tuesday.
Akunyili was returning from a lecture he had attended at the All Saints Cathedral, Onitsha, organised by the University of Nigeria Nsukka Alumni Association (UNNAA), Onitsha branch, in honour of his late wife when he was murdered.
Many had suspected the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) for the killing, but the separatist group has come out to deny involvement in the violent act, describing it as political “assassination”. “We have no hands in the political killings going on in Biafra land. We have severally raised the alarm that some cruel politicians are hiding under the cloak of the situation in Biafra land to eliminate their political enemies and blame it on IPOB.” The group’s spokesman, Emma Powerful claimed in a statement.
President Muhammadu Buhari in his reaction expressed sadness over the shocking murder of Akunyili.
He assured the grieving families who lost their loved ones in the incident, that the perpetrators of the heinous act would face both the judgment of man and that of God.
The President, in a statement by his spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, Wednesday, said he shared the pain of the offspring of the late Professor and Dr Akunyili, their families and friends ”whose lives will never remain the same after the inhuman and reprehensible act that happened in Onitsha, Anambra State.”
He said he has fond memories of working with the late Dora Akunyili at the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) and ”Nigerians will never forget the memory of the amazon, who distinguished herself as a courageous, dependable and patriotic citizen.”
Meanwhile, in a state broadcast, Anambra state Governor, Willie Obiano placed a N20 million bounty on the killers, asking security operatives to mobilise heavily and go after the monsters. “To reinforce our commitment and seriousness on this issue, I, on behalf of the State Government, wish to announce a N20,000,000 reward for any useful information leading to the arrest of the perpetrators of these heinous attacks on our state. The people behind this must be unmasked and brought to book.”
Obiano revealed that “Between Sunday 26th and yesterday 28th September 2021 attacks on citizens at Oko, Agulu, Obosi, Nkpor, Nnobi, Nnewi and other places have left about 10 people dead including an illustrious son of this State, Dr Chike Akunyili, husband of late Prof Dora Akunyili who was reportedly gunned down yesterday around Nkpor.”
The Southeast Governors’ Forum has also decried the “barbaric” killing, saying perpetrators will be made to face the full wrath of the law.
The Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, in a statement by his Media Aide, Nwaze Francis, said: “We have received the shocking story of the gruesome murder of one of our brightest and the husband to our late former Director-General of NAFDAC, late Professor Dora Akunyili by unknown gunmen.
“On behalf of the Governors of the South East, we condemn the act. It is not only barbaric, but it is also unbecoming how much human lives no longer matter in our society.
“We give Security Agencies a marching order to go all to uncover and arrest all the perpetrators of this inhuman act and make them face justice.”
