Cult, UGM, Election, Mkpulummiri, Obi Cubana Mum Burial, Others Form Anambra 2021 Major Events

Cult killings, killings by unknown gunmen, popularly known as UGM, the Anambra governorship election and the scourge of Mkpulummiri, have been adjudged to form the major events that shaped Anambra State Politics in the year 2021.

Other events that also shaped the  year in the state are the burial of the mother of Obi Cubana, an entrepreneur and nightclub owner, the gale of defections that hit the state in the run up to the election, the commissioning of the Anambra international cargo and passenger airport among others.

The out-gone 2021 was an election year in Anambra State, with the election of Governor Willie Obiano’s successor, as he prepares to leave office on 17^th March, 2022.

But, in the run up to the election, several other events that took place, helped to shape the politics of the State in the just concluded year. Below are the events.

Unknown gunmen killings/Attacks on govt facilities: One of the major events that ushered in the State of Anambra into the year 2021 was the spate of attacks on citizens of the State and government facilities by gunmen, who until today were yet to be fully identified.

This could be said to be a carryover of the 2020 EndSARS campaign, which eventually led to attacks on police facilities, and several arms let loose into wrong hands.

The attackers, who later became very popular by the name unknown gunmen, with the acronym UGM, were practically wild on everyone in the State. Several police facilities were attacked, INEC head office in Awka was also attacked, policemen were killed and dispossessed of their guns, while politicians were not also spared.

The first major attack was in March, when some unidentified gunmen invaded an event where former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Prof Soludo was addressing youths as part of a way to build support for his aspiration. At least, three policemen were killed and dispossessed of their guns, while a serving commissioner in Anambra State, Mr Ezenwanne was abducted.

The attacks were, however, crowned by the blood chilling way in which Dr Chike Akunyili was killed in broad daylight in Nkpor, Onitsha, with a hail of bullets pumped into his face. The attacks, however, disrupted campaigns for the Anambra election, and ended up making the Anambra 2021 governorship election one without campaigns and proper presentation of manifesto, as most candidates never held any rallies until the election was held.

Cult Killings: Cult killing is also one carryover from the 2020 EndSARS campaign. The campaign if not for anything ended up emboldening youths. Between January and may of 2021, unconfirmed reports recorded that in Awka alone, the capital city of Anambra State, no less than 50 youths were killed in cult related attacks.

Though for every attack, the State police command always promised to track down the killers, but the menace has continued, and also crossed over to 2022. Two most blood chilling cult killings that were registered in the State was the killing and beheading of a youth suspected to be a member of a rival cult group. The youths who made a video of themselves beheading the victim in an attack that was said to have happened at Igbariam area, close to the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, also saw the youths bringing the severed head to Awka, where they used it to play football and also made a video of themselves.

In another such related killing, a youth was also killed in Oko, Orumba North by suspected rival cultists, and his head severed from his body, while the body was brought to Awka and dumped at Amaenyi area.

Monday Sit at home: The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have for long been known by the ‘sit at home’ mantra, but in 2021, the group upped their game by declaring every Monday a ghost Monday, as a way to force the federal government to release its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who was arrested in Kenya and brought back home to face trial.

The Monday sit-at-home exercise started in July as announced by the IPOB, but was later discontinued after less than a month of completely shutting down the entire South-east zone. Meanwhile, despite an announcement suspending the exercise, people of the South-east continued to stay at home for fear of attacks, as hoodlums used the opportunity of the exercise to harass and steal from road users going about their duties. Not a few people were also killed in the exercise, and properties destroyed.

Gale of defections: In the run up to the Anambra governorship election, a gale of defection hit politicians in the State. This, however, was out of confusion as many politicians were looking to align with the party that would eventually win.

There was, however, the rumour that President Muhammadu Buhari was backing the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and that he may win the election. Many politicians dumped their platforms and joined the APC. APC was not the only party that received defectors. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance also did. It was a movement of confusion by politicians as some left their party to join others, while those they were going to meet were on their way out to join the same party they were leaving.

Most notable among the defections were the movement of the Deputy Governor, Dr Nkem Okeke, from the APGA to the APC. He was also joined by six lawmakers, who were said to have been poached by Uba.

Inauguration of Anambra Airport: The inauguration of the Anambra International Passenger and Cargo Airport was one ground breaking event, which many still said gave the APGA an edge over other political parties in the election. Obiano first started on 30th April, with a test run of the facilities at the airport, where three airplanes landed on the same day. On October 30, Obiano went full blast by inaugurating the airport for use. That was not without hassles, as opposition political parties sensing that the inauguration of the airport may give them an edge played a fast one on them.

Governor Willie Obiano was said to be at the Governor’s Lodge, enjoying a small party organized in his wife’s honour on her birthday, when he got a hint that the airport would no longer be commissioned, for a reason that was not clearly stated. First thing the next morning, Obiano landed in Abuja, in a chartered plane and pressed all the right buttons, and the next day, the airport was ready for commissioning. Today, business is fully running in the airport, and the traffic has been described as very encouraging.

Election of Prof. Soludo: With the number of heavy weight politicians who came out to vie for the Anambra governorship election, there was doubt about who the eventual winner would be. The very tensed political atmosphere in Anambra State was, however, was doused to an extent, when on November 8, the election result of local government areas were announced, and Prof. Chukwuma Soludo was in the lead.

Even though the election was also moved to November 9 to allow for election in Ihiala LGA, where elections had earlier been disrupted, it was already clear to all that Soludo had clinched victory. He won the election with a wide margin, with the PDP candidate and the APC trailing behind him.

The Mkpurummiri Scourge: To this day, the scourge of methamphetamine is still being fought in various communities in Anambra State. The highly addictive drug, which is also known as crystal meth or ice was said to have been discovered to be the main reason for cultism, robbery and other sundry crimes in the State.

In local communities, leaders declared war on the drug, its users and sellers. The war against Meth, which is more popular in Igbo land as Mkpurummiri, was fought in a special way, as those found to be users of the drug were usually tied to a stake in public squares, and their bodies lacerated with lashes.

Though some youths were said to have paid the supreme price through it, as they lost their lives in the process of flogging, the truth is that it scared sellers and users alike and also drastically reduced the use of the drug.

Obi Cubana mum’s burial: popular nightclub owner and Socialite, Obinna Iyiegbu who held the burial of his mother in Ona, Anambra State set tongues wagging, when over 200 cows were donated to him by friends for the burial of his mother.

The burial also became a show as his friends turned it into a carnival, throwing bale’s of money at entertainers as they danced away. The burial has been recorded as one of the most influential events in the country in the year 2021, and remained a major topic, both on social media and on mainstream media.