“More Head Will Roll,” Unknown Gunmen Issues Threat After Beheading Anambra Lawmaker

Unknown gunmen have threatened to murder more Anambra lawmakers less than 24 hours after killing Hon. Okechukwu Okoye, a lawmaker who represented Aguata II constituency in the Anambra State House of Assembly.

Okoye was kidnapped on May 15 in Aguata, but his head was discovered on Saturday in Nnobi, Idemili South Local Government Area of the state.

According to a resident of Nnobi, a message was left next to the head of Okoye and dumped by the roadside.

“In the note, the killers vowed that more heads would roll. The letter was not too clear due to raindrops, but it started with the word ‘warning.’

“At some point, it read, ‘everywhere you go, you cannot hide anywhere. We will go after you one by one because soldiers and police are (sic) no longer our problem,” the resident said.

Since Prof Charles Soludo was sworn in as governor of the state on March 17, killings and vandalism have increased in the state.

Many Local government headquarters, as well as several police stations, have been attacked and set on fire during Gov Soludo’s administration.

Meanwhile, “unknown gunmen” have set up camps in various Anambra communities, according to locals.

According to social media posts, criminal groups have established a new camp in Unubi, Nnewi South Local Government Area, from where they attack indigenous people.

Last Friday, the gunmen attacked some people in the Igboukwu community, along the Obiuno-Ekwulumili road, according to an unsigned statement circulating on social media.

The statement read, “The armed gang have created a new Operational Camp in the Unubi bush, a town located in Nnewi South Local government Council of Anambra State.

“On Friday evening, 20th of May, 2022 at about 5:50 pm unknown gunmen laid siege along the road, specifically at Ugwumba Bus Stop, in search of the owner of a Lexus Rx330 who allegedly succeeded in escaping from his car.

“The Lexus owner quickly alighted from the car after driving it into the gutter at Ugwumba Bus stop and ran into Ezechibuike’s home, that situates around the bus stop, through which he fled.

“However, the unidentified gunmen said to be numbering more than ten on arrival at the bus stop discovered that the owner of the car had left, so they laid siege to Ugwumba bus stop for an upward duration of an hour and commanded all the road users this evening to lie face down while they were busy conducting search of the Lexus owner.”

In the diaspora, people of Igboukwu and Unubi were cautioned not to return back to their hometown.

Youths have reportedly abandoned the community of Ezinifitte, in the same local government area, because they are afraid of being forced into joining armed gangs.