Again, Onitsha NBA Chairman Is Murdered |The Source

By Adesina Soyooye

The first time it happened in Anambra State was in 2002. The Chairman of the Onitsha Branch of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, Mr Barnabas Igwe and his wife, Amaka, were driving home to their residence in Onitsha. They never made it home. Gunmen murdered both of them in the streets of Onitsha. Their murder was shrouded in controversy, and caused an uproar.

His colleagues in the NBA hit the roof, and quickly pointed accusing fingers at the Governor of the State.

The Governor, then, was Mr Chinwoke Mbadinuju, a Governor who was generally unpopular with the people.

The allegation was that Igwe and his wife were killed because, as the Chairman of the powerful Onitsha branch of the NBA,  he was very critical of Governor Mbadinuju’s Government. His criticisms carried weight.

In 2012, Mbadinuju who was, then, in Houston was charged to court for the murders of Igwe and his wife.

Fast forward to March 2021. Another  Chairman of the Onitsha Branch of the NBA, has been murdered. The lawyer, Francis Onwunachi was murdered on March 19, 2021.

Onwunachi on March 12, was on his way to his village, Omor Community, in the Ayamelum LGA. He was the President General of the Town Union.

He never made it home. He was kidnapped along the road, the Ezu River Anaku road.

The allegation is that he was kidnapped, allegedly, by rogue Fulani herdsmen.

It is not known if the kidnappers ever made any contact with anybody to ask for ransom. Or perhaps, if the ransom demanded was not paid. If it was a question of ransom, this magazine was told, it would have been paid. He held three important positions – Chairman NBA, Onitsha, Vice President, University of  Nigeria Alumni Association, Onitsha Branch, the President-General of his Community’s Association. Yet he was killed.

The questions being asked around are: Does his murder have anything to do with any of the offices he held? What is it in the Chairmanship of the Onitsha Branch of the NBA that for the second time, its Chairman is murdered?

Anambra State used to be one of the safest States in the South-east. No longer. In the past two months the number of murders in the state, including those of security agents is alarming. It’s so bad that a couple of beheadings have been carried out in broad day light. Policemen are being ambushed and killed, and so are Prison Warders. Police stations and Divisions are being attacked and burnt down. So are private residences and business premises. The question, again is, if all these atrocities are being carried out by rogue Fulani herdsmen or sons of the South-east zone?

In the instant case of the murder of Barr. Onwunachi, the NBA, Anambra, is very angry and shocked. The Association of  the Chairmen and Secretaries of all the NBA Branches in the State, in a protest statement, expressed shock and urged Security Agencies in the State to buckle up. They expressed worry at what the state has been reduced to, emphasising that the level of insecurity is unparalleled and unacceptable.

The Branch had earlier declared a three-day strike action.

Investigations by the Police are on to unravel the kidnap and murder of Onwunachi.