Posted by Alphonsus Nweze,Onitsha on
Onitsha indigenous com- munities have condemned the recent bomb blast at Enweonwu Street Inland town Onitsha, targetted against a nonagerian, Pa James Okolo, describing it as "shocking and embarrassing".
Onitsha indigenous com- munities have condemned the recent bomb blast at Enweonwu Street Inland town Onitsha, targetted against a nonagerian, Pa James Okolo, describing it as "shocking and embarrassing".
Speaking with newsmen at his Ime-Obi Palace at his palace, the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, attributed the explosion to greedy land speculators, urging the law enforcement agencies to expedite investigation and bring the culprits to book.
The Obi of Onitsha who was in company of other Onitsha Chiefs, called on the police authorities to strictly enforce the laws regarding the possession and use of dynamite and other explosive devices.
Igwe Achebe also called on the Anambra State government to enact adequate and enforceable laws against destructive quarrying activities that are creating massive urban environmental wasteland in the state as in the case of Onitsha.
"It is a truism that Onitsha through its long history has not been associated with this sort of violence and barbaric act involving the wanton attempt to take someone's life for mere material reasons".
"From the earliest times, we have always utilized civilized norms and methods for settling disputes, which inevitably crop up every now and then in the community,'' he said.
Describing Pa Okolo as one of the most dignified personalities in Onitsha and a true elder statesman, Igwe Achebe said,"there appear to be a race to grab the remaining scarce land in Onitsha at all costs and to the total exclusion of the indigenous owners, who are now encapsulated within the Inland ghetto.
"They and their agents also engage in illegal and environmentally destructive quarrying activities in various parts of the town in total disregard of laws of the land" said Achebe.
Pa Okolo, Achebe added, is a well known person, and a man of courage who upholding the truth, thanking God that he miraculously did not suffer any injuries or harm from that explosion.
The Police homicide section of Anambra State command has sincecommenced investigation into the explosion with the arrest and invitation of family members to State Criminal Ivestigation Department (CID), Awka, the state capital.
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