Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra state has reportedly put a bounty of N20 million on the heads of the killers of Chike Akunyili, widower of former information minister Dora Akunyili.
Akunyili was also the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control of Nigeria (NAFDAC) from 2001 to 2008.
Obiano on Wednesday condemned the attack on Chike, while calling on youths in the state to protest their communities.
He said, “To all citizens of Anambra State and every person living and doing business in our State, I urge you now to join forces with us to confront this common enemy. We cannot condone this savagery for any reason whatsoever.
“I, therefore, call on all our youths in the State to rise up and protect our communities. Traditional rulers, Presidents General, clergymen, vigilante groups, and all leadership structures must now take responsibility and in conjunction with the police, military and other law enforcement agencies, work to restore order immediately.
“To reinforce our commitment and seriousness on this issue, I on behalf of the state government, wish to announce a twenty million naira (N20 million) reward for any useful information leading to the arrest of the perpetrators of these heinous attacks on our State. The people behind this must be unmasked and brought to justice.”
The governor lamented how “innocent road users have become victims of this menace with many losing their lives and others, their properties”.
“Between Sunday 26th and yesterday 28th September 2021 attacks on citizens at Oko, Agulu, Obosi, Nkpor, Nnobi, Nnewi and other places have left about ten (10) people dead including an illustrious son of this State, Dr Chike Akunyili, husband of late Prof Dora Akunyili who was reportedly gunned down yesterday around Nkpor.
“These are our own people dying every day and for what reason? Ndi Anambra, these attacks and accompanying deaths cannot be justified and must stop now,” he added.
Chike Akunyili was shot dead by unknown gunmen on Tuesday.
A family source confirmed to SaharaReporters that “Chike Akunyili was shot near Onitsha”, the commercial hub of Anambra State.
“He went for his late wife’s memorial lecture in Onitsha and was going back to Enugu, that was when the thing happened. He was shot dead by gunmen. I don’t know how it happened,” the source added.
Chike’s brother, Cyril in an Instagram post on Wednesday said, “IPOB killed my senior brother. Why? Husband of Prof Dora Akunyili is dead. IPOB why on a Tuesday?”
He later deleted the post.
His wife died in an Indian hospital on June 7, 2014, at the age of 57 after a prolonged ailment.
Chike and his late wife had six children.
After the death of his wife, Chike described her as “an elephant who loved her country even during her travails”.
“Her love for Nigeria was phenomenal and beyond words; even in her last days when she was very ill, she insisted that she would serve the country with her last breath.
“She wanted a home called Nigeria where citizens could live and enjoy,” he had said at the time.
