Wednesday, 24 April 2024

Meet The 36yr-old Alleged Drug Baron Behind Ozubulu Church Massacre

A video clip has emerged online, showing a picture collection of Aloysius Ikegwuonu, famously known as ‘Bishop’.

Ikegwuonu is believed to be a drug dealer based in South Africa and is suspected to be the main target of the violence at St. Philip’s Catholic church in Ozubulu, Anambra state.

Over 50 people were killed on Sunday morning by unknown gunmen, as they gathered for an early morning mass.

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In the video, Bishop is seen at different occasions. It also has images of him having a private time with his family.

He can also be seen supposedly receiving blessings from some clerics.

The Sunday’s attack, said to be the fallout of a feud between two men from the community who are into drug trade in South Africa, left no fewer than 20 persons dead and several others injured.

Sources in the community, however, put the death toll at over 50, saying the police was being economical with the truth.

The target of the attack has been identified as Chief Aloysius Ebubechukwu Ikegwuonu, who was said to have single handedly built the St. Philips Catholic Church stormed by the gunman on Sunday.

Ikegwuonu, 36, according to a 2016 report also rendered support to the Catholic Church in the area, which is under Nnewi Diocese.

He was said to have also build singlehandedly St. Aloysius Church of Divine Mercy in Ozubulu, Ekwusigo Local Government Area.

The church building is located inside the Rehabilitation Centre for the Disabled, Old and Tramps, Eziora Ozubulu.

It is a centre for physically challenged persons founded by Dame Rosemary Odunukwe.

The church was dedicated in May 2016, with the Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, in attendance.

The dedication was performed by His Lordship, the Catholic Bishop of Nnewi, Dr. Hillary Okeke.

Ikegwuonwu said he embarked on the project because seeing and listening to the disabled, old and tramps sing and pray touched his heart.

He said: “Their melodious voices caught my attention… I decided to build a church for them. This is one of the effective means of nourishing their souls.”

The dedication of the church building coincided with Ikegwuonwu’s 35th birthday in 2016.

Reports also have it that this is not the first time attempt would be made on Ikegwuonwu’s life.

In April 2016, some gunmen were said to have attacked him in Benin City, Edo State.

He was said to be on his way to the village when the attack took place.

Ikegwuonwu’s father, Pa Akunwafor Ikegwuonwu, has also been a victim of gunmen who took him away for 21 days.

The attack on Pa Akunwafor Ikegwuonwu was classified as a kidnap.

To mark his 36th birthday on May 1, 2017, Ikegwuonwu, popularly known as Bishop, erected a massive billboard in the town.

The billboard, with the photograph of Governor Obiano, announced of a mass in the church and the commissioning of some roads in the community.

 
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