BY VINCENT UJUMADU, Awka

THE remains of the 12 persons massacred by people suspected to be members of the Boko Haram Islamic sect in Mubi, Adamawa State early this year, were Thursday laid to rest at the St. Andrew’s Church burial ground at Adazi Nnukwu in Anaocha local government area of Anambra State.

Their bodies were brought back from Yola on Monday amidst tight security as there were reports that members of the sect had attempted to attack the convoy on their way back to the East. Thousands of mourners from Anambra State and beyond had thronged the premises of the church as early as 8 00am clad in black attire, while the widows of the victims and the widower whose wife was the only female victim were dressed in white.

The mourners sobbed uncontrollably when the ambulances that conveyed their bodies entered the St Andrews field and when the caskets were lined up on a platform in front of the alter, vehicular and human traffic in the area came to a standstill as motorists travelling to other towns, parked their vehicles and joined the ceremony. Business activities in the local government were grounded to a halt.

All markets in Anambra State were also closed by the traders in solidarity with their colleagues, most of whom were traders in Mubi. The victims included 16 years old student, Master Obinna Akukwe and the only female victim, Mrs. Ukamaka Aforka who had travelled to Mubi to join in the arrangement for the burial of a relation killed earlier by the Boko Haram sect.

...some of the relatives of victims during the burial ceremony

The Anambra traders, under the aegis of Amalgamated Market Traders Association,  who wore black outfits, carried placards which read, “Enough is enough”, “Igbos won’t run away”, “Calmness is not weakness” and “The nation is for all of us.” They recalled that Nigeria waged a war for three years to keep the nation together and wondered why Igbos should be massacred whenever any group in other parts of the country had grudges against the government.

The victims, now referred to as the Mubi 12, were Amaechi Onwudike, Obinna Akukwe, Osita Aforka, Ukamaka Aforka , Uchenna Okpala, Ugochukwu Ezenwekwe, and John Obiakonwa. Others were Patrick Aghachi, Job Mgbemena, Bede Anagbado, Simeon Asoh and Sunday Okoye.

Altogether, they left about 60 children, most of who are teenagers and whose presence ignited curses on those who murdered their fathers for no justifiable reason. The victims’ dependent relatives also cried profusely.

The emotion –laden ceremony, officiated by the Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Reverend Paulinus Ezeokafor, with more than 100 priests, including three from Mubi Catholic Church assisting, reached its high point when the ambulances carrying the caskets drove into the arena of St. Andrews Catholic Church, venue of the ceremony.

In an intuitive manner, most people at the venue numbering over 6000, wailed and sobbed and cursed those behind the termination of the lives of the victims.

Governor Peter Obi read the first lesson of the church service taken from the Book of Wisdom, chapter 3, verses 1 – 9, while the member representing Anaocha/Njikoka/Dunukofia federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Mrs. Uche Ekwunife read the second lesson taken from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans.

Bishop Ezeokafor, in his sermon, said there should be enough of these killings if Nigerians hoped to see themselves as belonging to one country.

He said: “These law-abiding citizens were massacred in cold blood, thus making their wives instant widows and several children fatherless. The painful thing is that these 12 people hailed from one community.

“It is very bad that we face a human disaster in Nigeria where people go about killing Christians senselessly and nothing is being done about it. The question is, when will this stop? Who will save Nigeria from this impending doom? What are the country’s lawmakers doing about this?

Gov. Peter Obi (right) and Bishop Paulinus Ezeokafor after the Requiem Mass for the victims of the Mubi massacre.

“We are living in a difficult situation because the Boko Haram sect is still threatening to wipe out Christians and Igbos in particular in the North. Though they claim that they want to cleanse the North of Igbos and Christians, the bottom line of their action is power and they should be made to know that their activities may eventually boomerang.

“To the Igbos, I urge you not to contemplate any revenge because doing so would mean playing into their hands.”
Governor Obi, in his speech, commended the federal government on its efforts so far in handling the situation, calling on the country’s leaders to do more by guaranteeing the fundamental right to life of Igbos wherever they lived.

Obi announces scholarship for the children of the victims

Commending Igbos for maintaining peace and refraining from reprisal attacks in the face of the provocation, Governor Obi announced that his administration would offer scholarship to all the children left behind by the victims. There were about 60 children involved. He also announced a donation of N10 million for the construction of a monument at the premises of the church in memory of the victims, just as he said that each of the families would get N1 million.

Our story–Adazi people in Mubi
In an address presented by Adazi Nnukwu citizens at Mubi, in which they chronicled the events that led to the massacre, they said that sequel to the threat of the Boko Haram sect to all Christians residing in the northern part of the country to relocate to the South, the head of the Igbo community in Mubi called a meeting of all the Igbos residing in Mubi on January 3, 2012 at the instance of the Emir of Mubi.

The aim, they said, was to discuss the security implications of the threat to non Muslims.  They said that at the meeting, the representative of the Emir advised the Igbos living in Mubi to ignore the threat as adequate security of their lives and property was guaranteed.

Their statement read: “In the evening of 5th January, 2012, a group of gunmen stormed Barrack road, Mubi shooting indiscriminately and in the process, killed Mr. Semion Asor and some others who were relaxing in front of the Goodwill Hotel in the town. The following day, due to rising insecurity, the head of Igbo community summoned another meeting of all Igbos to discuss the fate of Igbos and the way forward.

“Adazi Nnukwu indigenes in the town did not attend the meeting because all of them were at the residence of the late Simeon Asor condoling with the family and arranging for the conveying of his remains to Adazi Nnukwu. It was while they were there that a group of gunmen stormed the residence of Asor and shot and killed nine Adazu Nnukwu citizens. Also killed on the spot were other sympathizers, including the branch manager of Diamond Bank in Mubi, his driver and another person who hailed from Agulu.

“These Adazi Nnukwu citizens cut down in the prime of their lives were the bread winners of their families with many dependent relatives. Adazi Nnukwu is therefore calling on the governments of Anambra and Adamawa, as well as the Federal Government to come to the rescue of these helpless children and their dependants because their fathers had contributed in no small way in the development of Adamawa State.”

Eze Igbo Mubi, Igwe Malachy Agbazue who led the team that brought the corpses back and who was present at the burial ceremony, debunked the insinuation that Igboos killed themselves over business transaction.  His words: “This is totally false. The only thing I want to add is that we should not relent in our prayers to Nigeria in distress. God who sees everything will surely fish out those who murdered these innocent souls.”

He appealed to the Adamawa State not to relent in providing constant security to Christians in the state because there were still fears of the Boko Haram massacre, just as efforts should be made to bring to book those who perpetrated the act of the slaughter of the Mubi 12.