Gunmen Monday evening allegedly killed a security man when they invaded the Catholic Cathedral Church of St Joseph, Ekwulobia in Aguata Council Area of Anambra State.
The killing is coming on the heels of a church service at the church, attended by the Anambra state governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, planned to officially mark the end of the Mondays’ sit-at-home in the state.
On Sunday evening, gunmen numbering over ten had moved round the Ekwulobia town, shooting sporadically and warning residents not to come out for their daily activities on Monday, against the governor’s directive.
However, a defiant Soludo moved to the troubled location where he attended the prayer session.
Later in the evening of the same day, the gunmen struck, killing one of the security men at the Cathedral.
It is still unclear as to the motive for invading the church premise, but residents of the area have feared the invasion will not be unconnected with the prayer session held by Soludo where he declared an end to the Monday’s sit-at-home.
Meanwhile, Governor Soludo has said security will be beefed up in the area which he described as a major flashpoint.
“We have many parts of the state but this place is one of the worst hit.
“I decided to hold this prayer here and not in Awka, the state capital which is relatively safe, because we need to give the people the reassurance that we are committed to addressing this issue once and for all.
“We cannot continue to cripple our economy in the name of fighting for freedom.
“Our people are the ones facing this hardship and as a responsible government, we cannot allow this to continue.
“That is why we are appealing to the conscience of our people to fight this monster.
“We cannot allow the entire Anambra state to be controlled by very few criminal elements,” Soludo noted.
The governor however noted that the youths must rise to take back their communities from the grips of criminals masquerading as freedom fighters.
According to him, most of the perpetrators of the violence are not indigenes of the state and the state will not tolerate a situation where those it is hosting will turn the state to a battle ground.
“Our youths should rise now because most of these criminals doing this are not indigenes of the state.
“We remain home for all as Anambra people but that should not be taken for granted.
“You come from elsewhere and we welcome you but that does not give you the opportunity to turn our homeland to something else,” the governor warned.
