Stakeholders fear Anambra cult killings
The capital of Anambra State, Awka, and the surrounding area have seen a rise in homicides recently, which has alarmed the locals.
The state of affairs has persisted in presenting significant obstacles to locals as well as businesses and economic activity.
Due to conflicts between opposing groups over cult matters, there have been killings in Awka since Easter Sunday, and the killings have been occurring nearly every day.
There have reportedly been more than fifteen fatalities at various points in the vicinity.
One individual was shot on Wednesday night at the Aroma Roundtable, Awka, gas station.
Once more, on Thursday morning, in front of a car park at the Aroma roundabout, a person who was allegedly a state traffic inspector was shot and killed.
It was discovered that the town union government’s and the control over tax collection are the main causes of the situation.
Some local stakeholders were compelled by this trend to join together and discuss potential solutions to the problem in order to save lives and property.
Among them, Ossy Onuko, the Chairman of the Awka Capital Territory Development Agency, voiced concerns over the development on Friday during a news conference in Awka Anambra state.
According to Onuko, if the situation is not immediately addressed, it could frighten residents and investors who were previously taking pleasure in the peace brought about by the government of state governor Prof. Chukwuma Soludo.
He declared, “We have had to examine our operations and come up with far-reaching measures that we won’t be talking about in the media just yet due to the spate of cult-related killings in Awka.
The stakeholders have decided that nobody will be allowed to undermine the state government’s efforts to turn the city back into a successful and livable model town.
Therefore, we are begging the young people and everyone else involved in the cult-related killings to change their ways and realize that there is no benefit to what they have decided to do.
Henry Mbachu, a different participant and member who represents Awka South Constituency 1, stated that in order to address the current gun killings as soon as possible, it is imperative to keep cultism and crime apart.
Mbachu lamented that the majority of young people entered cults without knowing what they were getting into. As a result, he felt that the National Orientation Agency and other pertinent organizations needed to start reorientation programs to inform the public about the risks associated with joining cults.
The congressman stated that there is a window of opportunity for people who may want to reject cultism and embrace peace, and that the media, religious leaders, and other stakeholders all have a part to play in resolving the issue.
“It is a concerning development that most young people in anambra join cults without realizing what they are into,” he stated. The media, religious authorities, and other interested parties can help stop this harmful trend.
Chief ThankGod Anago, the chairman of the Awka South Local Government Area’s Transition Committee, stated that the murders in Awka City had escalated to an epidemic proportion and require a variety of strategies to address.
