Buhari rings Obiano from his London sickbed to commiserate with him over Ozubulu church massacre

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has phoned Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State from his sick bed in London to express his shock at the recent massacre at a Ozubulu church that left at least 11 people dead.

In a ghastly and inexplicable attack yesterday morning, gunmen stormed the rural town of Ozubulu and opened fire on worshippers at the St Philip Catholic Church. During the Sunday morning service at Ozubulu in Ekwusigo Local Government Area, 11 worshippers were reported killed and 18 others injured.

Immediately after the attack, in a statement issued by his senior special assistant Mallam Garba Shehu, President Buhari condemned the attack, describing the incident as an appalling crime against humanity and unspeakable sacrilege. According to the president, there was no justification whatsoever to target church worshippers and kill them in cold blood.

He expressed his deep sympathy with the families of the victims, the church leadership and the government of Anambra State. Barely two hours after the release of the president’s statement on the incident, Mallam Shehu also confirmed that President Buhari had a telephone conversation with Governor Obiano where he commiserated with him, families of the victims as well as the people of the state.

Governor Obiano was quoted as saying that the Ozubulu killings were a result of a dispute between two sons of the area and vowed that all those behind the act would be apprehended. Garba Umar, the Anambra State police commissioner, revealed that the police had launched a manhunt for those behind the incident and gave an assurance that everybody behind the act would be brought to justice.