Until August 6, 2017, not many people had heard of the town called Ozubulu. A sleepy community tucked away in the slopes of Anambra State in the Southeastern part of the country, the area, like most rural ones across Nigeria, enjoyed relative tranquility even though social amenities needed to make life worthwhile are still largely missing. But on the morning of that fateful day, everything changed. At about 6:30 am, a gang of young men wielding guns and other dangerous weapons stormed St. Philips Catholic Church in the community while an early morning mass was going on. Without blinking an eye and minding the sanctity of the environment they were in, the men opened fire on worshippers – among them the very old and little children. By the time the dust finally settled, at least 13 people had been killed while another 18 were left battling for their lives after sustaining serious injuries.

While various theories as to the reason behind the gruesome attack emerged in the hours and days following the tragedy, the overwhelming consensus appears to tilt towards the fact that the massacre was a fallout of a feud between two drug cartels of Nigerian origin based in South Africa. According to reports, one of the warring factions was allegedly headed by one Aloysius Ikegwuonu, popularly known as Bishop, a native of Ozubulu, who has since denied the allegations. The young man, whose father was among the victims, has since visited victims and relatives of the dead and held meetings with leaders within the community.

However, sources told Saturday PUNCH that the fracas leading to the killings in Ozubulu might have begun as far back as five years ago when a particular drug gang based in South Africa failed to adequately account for the money realised from cocaine they allegedly sold on the streets from a consignment that came into the southern African nation through Pakistan.

According to the source, a mafia in the Asian country, enraged by the development, has been venting its fury on all those involved in the breach, killing several Nigerians based in South Africa.

It was also said that about the same time that St. Philips Catholic Church in Ozubulu was attacked, a similar armed siege was also laid at a restaurant in Johannesburg, South Africa, named Galito and allegedly owned by one of Bishop’s partners. Manager of the place and a staff were said to have been injured and hospitalised as a result of the attack.

Confirming the attack on the restaurant, the source said, “I was informed that a shooting incident occurred that Sunday morning at a business place owned by the Chairman of Ozubulu Town Union in South Africa and the manager was taken to the hospital.

“From my enquiry, the chairman of the union is neutral on the matter and he had made several efforts to ensure that the crisis was settled amicably.”

Speaking further, the source told Saturday PUNCH that the drug war was connected to the death of a young man from Imo State named Ginika, who he claims was one of Bishop’s most trusted allies but defected to a rival gang known as Obrocha.

“Some gangsters killed Ginika in an unrelated issue and the Imo State community made sure they were jailed. They have been in prison for a long time.

“Then there was another guy from Umuleri in Anambra State that was killed at a church in Johannesburg. He was rumoured to be friends with the ones in prison, who claimed that Bishop set them up and sent them to jail so that he could take over the place they used to sell drugs.

They demanded three things from Ozubulu community in South Africa before there could be peace. One, they demanded the payment of $1m, two, that they should be freed from prison; and three, that they kill certain people as revenge for their loss.

“Obviously, the Ozubulu community couldn’t meet up with these demands hence the attack on their town.

“Five people from Ozubulu have already been killed who were allegedly in connection with this gang war. That excludes the worshippers,” the source said.

But while the police carry on with investigations to unravel those behind the bloodletting, and all those allegedly fingered continue to deny any involvement in the tragedy, the incident has highlighted how Nigerian drug cartels and cult groups are now giving other rival gangs in Europe, America, Asia and other parts of the world a run for their money right on their own turf.

A black period in Ozubulu

When news of this brutal massacre started to filter in, the IPOB liars were allover the net claiming that the church was attacked by a contingent of Nigerian Army personnel of northern extraction.

Story teller

You see.

Una no holy but still want dey point fingers. Why won't this kind of thread resurface again?

Abeg, some people should start thinking

Phoen1X:
Story teller

Which version do you prefer to read ?

The one that IPOB louts claimed was carried out by Nigerian Army personnel of northern extraction ?

Read and see how community leadership in your yeast is being controlled by criminals .

sultanofpigs:
Israel has killed major hamas backers and supporters...

Israel is very rugged...

Dem dey terrorise una for your yeast , you dey hear dey yarn about Hamas .

They demanded three things from Ozubulu community in South Africa before there could be peace. One, they demanded the payment of $1m, two, that they should be freed from prison; and three, that they kill certain people as revenge for their loss.

It's not today that criminals have been terrorising and dominating their yeast.

Imagine drug dealers giving an entire community an ultimatum.

If not that their community heads are criminals themselves or roll in the mud to criminals over chicken change, will these criminals have the effontry to give an entire community an ultimatum ,?

This is no different than the Fulani bandits listing conditions to communities in the NW with the only distinction that the victims of such never elevated those criminals to be their leaders.

sultanofpigs:
Israel is rugged...

In 3 months time it will be a years since Israel began their war in tiny Gaza against an enemy that has no Armoured Tanks, Air force, navy, sophisticated missiles.

I see how Pissrael rugged.

VulgarVulvas:


In 3 months time it will be a years since Israel began their war in tiny Gaza against an enemy that has no Armoured Tanks, Air force, navy, sophisticated missiles.

I see how Pissrael rugged.

Ignore that boy.. He only wants to derail the thread deliberately

helinues:


Ignore that boy.. He only wants to derail the thread deliberately

I want to remind them with this revived topic on how they claimed the attack was carried out by Nigerian Army personnel.

sultanofpigs:
who killed funsho williams??

After nearly 8ys, not one person has been arrested and prosecuted for the Ozubulu Catholic Church massacre.

Fool.

sure??..okay..

funsho williams killer will also die a miserable death

VulgarVulvas:


Most likely 0su criminals .

sultanofpigs:
sure??..okay..

funsho williams killer will also die a miserable death

Like the way Obi's father was murdered and thrown into River Niger by obi's estranged drug dealing partners.

sultanofpigs:
okay...

funsho williams killer will also die a miserable death

Like Obi papa

Cartels

I remember this one. It was a spill over from the drug gang wars in South Africa.

I remember this story. When the savages were killing each other on the streets of South Africa, the whole Nigeria blamed "xenophobia " . When they took the war back to their cursed village ; the Fulani herdsmen were blamed . There's always someone to scapegoat when these savages go on a rampage ....no sense of responsibility and no truth from their communities and diaspora loud supporters. Cursed savages .