The peaceful atmosphere of Ozubulu Community in Ekwusigo Local Government Area was shattered when the body of a young man, shot dead by suspected gunmen, was discovered along the Onitsha/Owerri Express Road. This grim find has instilled a wave of fear and apprehension among the residents, echoing past violent episodes in the area.
The Anambra State Police Command confirmed the incident in a statement released on Tuesday in Awka. According to SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the command’s Public Relations Officer, the lifeless body of the yet-to-be-identified victim was discovered on January 23, 2025. “In the early hours of 23rd January 2025, Police Operatives attached to Ozubulu Divisional Headquarters responded to a distress call along the Onitsha/Owerri Express Road and recovered the body of a yet to be identified young man,” Ikenga stated.
He further detailed, “A spot observation by the police responding team and report from eyewitnesses at the scene reveals that the victim was shot in the stomach by suspected armed men who abandoned his lifeless body and fled the scene.” The police are now appealing to the public for help in identifying the victim and gathering information that could aid their investigation. The body has been moved to the morgue pending further developments.
Local sentiments reflect a community gripped by fear. A resident, speaking anonymously to SaharaReporters, expressed his dread, “I might be the next victim.” He elaborated on the unpredictability and the threat posed by the assailants, “Nobody is safe again in this community… No one can even predict when or where they would strike or who exactly is their target.”
Another local, identified only as Joy, highlighted the broader implications for the community, particularly for students, business owners, and farmers. “Insecurity has become a big problem and students are afraid. Business people are afraid. Farmers are also afraid because you don’t know where the gunmen ran to,” she said, pointing out the potential hiding spots for criminals in less secured areas like farms or around schools.
This recent act of violence recalls the infamous August 2017 massacre in Ozubulu, where 13 people were killed in a church attack, which police linked to a feud among local kingpins based overseas. The community’s history with such incidents only deepens the current sense of insecurity among its residents.
Governor Soludo has been urged to address the escalating security concerns, with residents like Joy lamenting, “Government should do better,” as the community braces for more potential threats in this tense period.