EDITORIAL: The Ogboji Massacre: End of the No-Gunshot Celebration in Anambra? Where is Agunaechemba?

BY TONY OKAFOR

Just weeks ago, Anambra State celebrated an unprecedented milestone—an entire month without a single gunshot, either from criminals or law enforcement.

It was a rare and hopeful moment in a region frequently besieged by violence.

The ceremony, ‘chaired’ by Commissioner of Police Ikioye Orugutu, symbolized a fragile but promising step toward peace.

That fragile peace was shattered on the evening of Monday, June 30, 2025.

In Ogboji, Orumba South Local Government Area, thirteen innocent lives were cut down in a blood-soaked orgy of violence that has stunned not only the state but the nation.

The Ogboji massacre is as chilling as it is tragic—a brutal reminder that in parts of Nigeria, life remains heartbreakingly cheap, and peace dangerously elusive.

In swift response, the Anambra State Government, via a press statement signed by the Commissioner for Information, Dr. Law Mefor, condemned the killings “in the strongest possible terms” and assured the public that justice would be served.

While we acknowledge this prompt reaction, we must press further: Condemnation is not justice, and promises are not prosecutions.

It is no longer enough to issue statements from Awka. What is needed now is decisive, visible, and sustained action.

The affected community—comprising many from Ebonyi State—deserves more than sympathies. They deserve protection. They deserve the truth.

Government sources have suggested that the massacre may have stemmed from an “internal squabble.” If true, this only amplifies the concern.

If a local dispute could escalate into the slaughter of thirteen people with such terrifying ease, it reveals a security structure that is either overstretched, under-equipped, or, worse, indifferent.

Let us be clear: No squabble justifies a massacre. And if the intelligence community had any forewarning, why was it not defused? If not, why was it undetected? If the attackers operated with impunity—as reported—where were the security forces?

Most urgently, where was Agunaechemba, the state’s supposed rapid-response outfit designed to protect its people in times exactly like this?

These are not rhetorical questions. They are the cries of grieving families, of a wounded community, and of a nation increasingly weary of senseless bloodshed.

The government’s clarification that “the incident was not targeted at any particular ethnic or state group” is both necessary and timely. But it must also be backed with transparent, public-facing facts.

Nigeria’s ethno-political terrain is brittle. Silence or ambiguity breeds suspicion, fear, and reprisal.

Transparency must be the watchword. The findings of this investigation must not be buried in bureaucratic vaults. They must be made public—and swiftly.

If this was targeted criminality, let the truth be known. If it was politically motivated, let it be exposed. If cultism, land disputes, or communal rivalry played a role, let us confront it head-on.

We call on the Nigeria Police Force to treat this tragedy not as a local anomaly but as a national emergency.

The Inspector-General of Police must take a direct interest. The Federal Government must lend its weight to reinforce the fragile security architecture—not just in Anambra, but across every vulnerable region in the country.

To the Anambra State Government: Words are no longer enough. The time for action is now. A full judicial panel of inquiry may be necessary.

Where appropriate, compensation should be considered. Survivors must be protected. Security must be visibly strengthened—not only in Ogboji but in all known flashpoints across the state.

To the people of Anambra: let us not give in to fear, nor succumb to apathy. But neither must we grow numb to bloodshed.

Every citizen lost must be remembered. Every act of violence must be met with resolute, visible justice.

The Ogboji massacre is a dark stain on the conscience of this nation. It must not be forgotten. It must not be repeated.

Justice must not be a promise deferred.