By-Alphonsus Agborh, Asaba
Vice-Presidential Candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor of Delta, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, on Sunday visited the families of the police officers killed by gunmen in Anambra State.
The deceased officers – Inspectors Lucky Aleh, Celestine Nwadiokwu and Jude Obuh – were attached to Explosives Ordinances Disposal Unit at the Government House, Asaba.
They were killed by unknown gunmen, who ambushed them at a spot along Ihiala-Orlu road in Anambra while on their way to Umuahia on official duty, weekend ( Friday.)
He prayed for the bereaved families and asked them to take solace in the fact that the deceased died in active service for the nation, and assured that the state government would continue to identify with them through the trying times.
The governor was accompanied by member, representing Ika Federal Constituency, Mr Victor Nwokolo; member, representing Ika South in the State House of Assembly, Mr Festus Okoh and his Ika North East counterpart, Mr Anthony Elekeokwuri; Commissioner for Works, Mr Noel Omodon, his Information Counterpart, Mr Charles Aniagwu and other top government functionaries.
Meanwhile, the state government has reacted to the killing of the governor’s security aides
State Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu who briefed journalists on the sad incident said the late officers would be greatly missed for their contributions to the peace and development of Delta.
He described the unfortunate killing of the officers as barbaric and unacceptable in a country seeking to be united again for peace and development.
“We bring you the sad news of our very gallant officers who have helped us in maintaining peace in our state attached to the Explosives Ordnance Disposal EOD Unit in Government House, Asaba.
“The officers met their untimely death while they were proceeding as an advanced team for the PDP National Campaign Rally in Abia, unfortunately this particular team veered off from the convoy and took another route different from where the convoy was taking.
“They were ambushed along the Ihiala-Orlu Road enroute Umuahia by non-state actors who eventually killed three of them in police uniform while the one on mufti escaped.
“We have recovered their corpse and we have also reached out to their families,”
He said some accounts of the unfortunate incident trending on social media were untrue, adding that the state government delayed announcing their untimely death because efforts were being made to reach out to their families before making the announcement.
He called on security agencies in the country to fish out the killers and bring them to book so that Nigerians can once again live peacefully in any part of the country.
“What is happening in parts of this country today, particularly in the South East, is not healthy for our development as a country because the elections are very very close.
“The security we are asking for is not just for the purpose of the elections. It is also something that everybody wants. We should be able to have security at every given time; that way, we would have development.
“We must also plead with our brothers and sisters who may have taken guns on the account of what they see as agitation to know that the best way to help our people, is to allow peace to reign. That way development will take place in the South East.
“Our people in the South East are very very industrious, they are commerce oriented and have developed love for one another over the years.
“We will plead with these our brothers to allow this kind of love that permeated the atmosphere in the time past in the South East, to continue to pervade that environment.
“That way, they are able to ensure that the government will bring development to them and also able to ensure that private sector investments would thrive.
“It is unfortunate that these gallant officers, just like many others have also lost their lives in the past, have lost their lives on account of the activities of individuals who describe themselves today as ‘unknown gunmen’.
“We are pleading with them to sheath their swords and begin to allow that love of which the people of the South East have been known for over the years. So that as a people, we will continue to coexist.
“We pray to the good Lord Almighty to accept the souls of these our loved ones, three of them that have passed on due to no fault of theirs.
“We also pray that God gives their families the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss; even as we seek justice on their behalf, both as a government, as a state and as a people.
“We ask their immediate families to take heart. Only God understands situations like this and we know that God will not allow them to die in vain because it was in the course of duty and service to our dear country.
“But even if it was not in the course of duty, nobody deserves to die the way these our brothers have been killed.
“As a government in Delta, we will be with their families in their trying moments and we will also take steps to seek justice on their behalf by impressing upon security agencies to take steps to unravel those who have caused this pain that is in our heart today,” Aniagwu stated.
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