The issue of politically motivated killings and assassinations has become a recurrent phenomenon in Nigeria, particularly during periods of elections, and the Nigeria Police and other security agencies in the country has proven to be inefficient in tackling such issues, as in most cases, culprits are not arrested and such incidents continues unabated. A supposed politically motivated murder recently occurred in Abagana community, Anambra State, Nigeria where the father of one Mr. Chimezie O. Christopher, the President of New Hope for Nigeria Youths was murdered in cold blood in the early hours of 20th May, 2022.
Recall that Mr. Chimezie O. Christopher and his advocacy group have been actively involved in the campaign for good governance, voters’ sensitization and credible electioneering process in the country. The group intensively campaign against the ruling party in the state for failing to fulfill its electioneering promises made in the last election. The group also argued that the ruling party decided to undermine the collective interest of the people when it went ahead to field known corrupt politicians as candidates for the 2023 general elections, and they went to town campaigning against these candidates, sensitizing the people against voting for known corrupt politicians in the state who will not represent their interests and aspirations if they are being elected into government.
Threatened by the wave and acceptance the group was being accorded by the people, sources has it that some prominent politicians from the ruling party in the state decided to invite Mr. Chimezie O. Christopher and his group to a round table discussion. And we gathered that mouthwatering and tempting offers were made to Mr. Chimezie Christopher and his group to work for the ruling party, as to ensure that the people vote for their candidates standing for the general elections in the state.
It was revealed that Mr. Chimezie O. Christopher and his group turned down these mouthwatering offers, instead insisted on campaigning against the candidates of the ruling party for what they claimed to be the collective interest of the people and the society. After Mr. Chimezie O. Christopher and his group failed to yield to the demands of these prominent politicians, plans were therein put in place to eliminate him and his group as the only option left in stopping them from going on with their voters’ sensitization and campaign against the ruling party in the state.
And as was expected, in the late hours of 20th May, 2022, some suspected political assassins invaded Mr. Chimezie O. Christopher’s home in Abagana, Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State. Mr. Chimezie O. Christopher was said to have been alerted by the consistent barking of his dogs, and he escaped scaling the fence of his compound through the back door, and when the assailants couldn’t find him, they stabbed his father in the neck and he bled unto death before his murderers left the house.
Attempts to reach Mr. Chimezie O. Christopher through the phone after the incident had occurred in the morning proved abortive as all his cell phones were switched off. Contacts were also made to the Anambra State Police Command Public Relation Officer as to confirm Police investigation into the matter, but she never picked her calls or replied to text messages sent to her as at the time of filing this report.
The gruesome murder of Mr. Chimezie O. Christopher’s innocent father has thrown the entire Abagana community into a state of mourning and anxiety. The people are presently living in fear of who will possibly be the next victim of these murderers. Report has it that Mr. Chimezie O. Christopher’s father has since been buried according to the traditional and religious rites of his people. The where about of Mr. Chimezie O. Christopher has remained unknown as it is suspected that he has decided to go into hiding for fear of being killed by those who have been hired to assassinate him.
By Kingsley Nweke
Reporting from Awka, Anambra State
03/06/2022