Youths protest the death of a community leader in Anambra.
A few Umuoji community members, mostly young people, in Anambra State’s Idemili North Local Government Area have voiced their opposition to the death of Chief Sylvester Onyima, the group’s president-general.
Youths protest the death of a community leader in Anambra.
Chudi Chikelu, the Umuoji National Youth Leader who spearheaded the demonstration to the Government House in Awka on Friday, conveyed his dissatisfaction with the regrettable event, characterizing the late Onyima as a “big masquerade” that has drawn several developments to Umuoji.
Chikelu voiced his annoyance at the hold-up in the inquiries and criminal cases against those responsible for the heinous deed.
On Friday, February 24, a group of shooters broke into the late Onyima’s home and fatally shot him.
After giving him multiple machete cuts, it was reported that the thugs shot him in the bathroom as he was taking a bath.
Chikelu, who addressed the dead as a father to the Umuoji youth, disclosed during the protest that the youths wanted justice to be served swiftly in relation to the death of their community leader.
Before they finally started the protest, he said, the teenagers were about to turn violent and were begging the state administration and security services not to abandon them.
The young people are not pleased that the dead’s justice has not yet been served. We implore the security services to expedite their inquiries and identify our community leader’s killers as soon as possible,” he continued.
Titus Akpudo, the president-general of the Anambra State Association of Town Unions, also spoke during the protest and urged calm till the police finished their investigation.
In order to prevent such deaths, everyone was also asked to exercise caution in their local surroundings by ASATU Youth President General Ken Okoli.
Okoli urged everyone to get to know the individuals residing in their neighborhood and emphasized that the ASATU family is committed to seeing this issue through to a fair resolution.
The group arrived at the Government House while carrying signs that read, among other things, “Mr. Governor, Please prevail on the police to expedite action,” “Delayed Justice is justice denied,” and “Injustice to one is an injustice to all.”
Ernest Ezeajughi, the state governor’s chief of staff, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, responded by saying that the state government will see to it that justice was done in this case.
“Everyone was affected by what happened, including the state government,” stated Ezeajughi. “The late Onyima was obligingly offering his services before he was cut off.”
“The state government is committed to working with the police to ensure that justice is served; the matter is still under investigation, and those who were arrested are still in custody.”
The Chief of Staff asked them not to be hypocritical, but he also reminded them that during one of the executive council meetings, the Governor had called for a minute of silence in his honor to show empathy.
Ezeajughi emphasized that the state administration intends to communicate with the governor to make sure that such unpleasant situations do not recur in the state.
