By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The family of late Mr. Joseph Ezenwegbu, the assassinated Ward 1 Chairman of the Young People’s Party (YPP) in Nanka, Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State, has announced his burial activities.
Recall that Mr. Ezenwegbu (popularly known as Joe Mohale) was shot dead by a group of masked men on the evening of Saturday, November 11, 2023, a few minutes after he organised a meeting between the party faithful in Nanka and the member representing Orumba North and South Federal Constituency, Hon. Princess Chinwe Nnabuife, who earlier received death threats from unidentified persons warning her not to come into Nanka again.
Shortly after the incident, the Police in the state swung into action and investigation, with a view to hunt down and unravel the identities of those behind the gruesome murder that has thrown the community into mourning mood since it occurred.
However, barely ten days after the murder, this reporter, Izunna Okafor, discovered that the burial poster of the murdered party chairman had begun trending on the social media.
According to the poster, the remains of Mr. Ezenwegbu will leave St. Joseph’s Hospital, Adazi-Nnukwu on Friday, December 15, 2023, to his compound in Etti village, Nanka, where he will be buried after a wake keep in his compound the preceding night.
The poster further stated that condolence visit would continue on Saturday, December 16 at his compound, while the burial activities will be capped up with a thanksgiving mass at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Nkwọagụ Nanka on Sunday, December 17.
The viral burial poster, which also revealed late Ezenwegbu’s age to be 60, was signed by his elder brother, Mr. N.C. Ezenwegbu. Recall that the deceased had only one child, who is about three-year old.
Concerned about the prospect of the police investigation on Ezenwegbu’s assassination vis-a-vis the fixture of his burial, this reporter, Izunna Okafor, contacted the Police Public Relations Officer for the Anambra State Police Command, DSP Ikenga Tochukwu who cleared the air on the concern.
According to him, the burial of the deceased will not affect the ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death, and neither will it prevent hunting down his killers.
“If the family wants to bury their person, do we to stop them from going on with the burial? Of course the answer is No. We cannot stop them. But what I’m assuring you is that his burial will not, in any way, affect the investigation we are doing. Police are still investigating the matter,” DSP Ikenga said in a telephone interview with this reporter.
He added that the State Police Command commiserates with and shares in the grief of the family, while expressing optimism that the burial will ease the pains of the family.
“The Command shares in their grief, and I believe the burial shall further ease pains the family and friends are facing. But they should be rest assured that the Command shall make sure the perpetrators of this crime are apprehended and made to face the law,” he said.
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