Some unidentified gunmen have reportedly killed a Nigerian Army officer, identified as Major Churchill Orji, in Anambra State. It was learnt that the army officer was killed during an operation on Monday in Azia axis, in the Ihiala Local Government Area of the state. A news medium, TheRazor, quoted a schoolmate of the deceased, Leonard Edu, to have confirmed the killing of the deceased.
Edu said, “He was my senior in Agulu Boys Secondary School; our labour prefect then. It’s true he was killed by unknown gunmen at Azia, in Ihiala.”
It also reported a tribute by another officer who wrote, “Rest in peace my brother from Nneogidi village, Agulu, Major Churchil Orji killed yesterday( Sunday) at Azia/ukpor defending the South-East from the marauders.”
Again, another source said, “An Anambra indigene Major C Orji was killed in Ihiala/Azia axis by unknown gunmen. Father (God), we are at your mercy in Anambra State. May the soul of Major C Orji rest in peace.”
Meanwhile, the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Tochukwu Ikenga, said he was yet to receive a report about the incident when contacted on telephone.
Easterner’ efforts to get reaction of the Nigerian Army failed as neither the Deputy Director Army Public Relations, 82 Division, Col Abubakar Abdullahi nor the Director, Army Public Relations, Brig Gen Onyema Nwachukwu, answered their calls. They also did not respond to text messages at the time of filing this report. Ihiala axis, bordering Imo State, where the army major was reportedly killed has been notorious with the activities of people suspected to be Biafran agitators.
However, normalcy had in the past two months gradually returned to the area before the recent development, following the killing of the suspected leader of the dreaded unknown gunmen called ‘Double Lion’, operating from Orlu area of Imo State through some communities in Ihiala and Nnewi South in Anambra.
Double Lion and four members of his gang were killed by a suspected rival group at Ihiala in June 2022 at a time when moving around the state had become frightening.
