29th September, 2021
Cyril Akunyili, brother of murdered Dr. John Chike Akunyili confirmed his death early on Wednesday with a post on Facebook, accusing militants of the Indigenous People of Biafra as his killers.
“IPOB killed my senior brother. Why? Husband of Professor Dora Akunyili is dead. IPOB Why on a Tuesday” he wrote.
The post went viral and the screenshot was repeatedly quoted by many Nigerians.
But checks on his FB hours later showed that Cyril had deleted the post.
He was no longer announcing his brother’s death as his page as it was filled with messages augmenting the political campaign of YPP governorship candidate, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah.
The removal of the post also came as IPOB issued a statement exculpating its members from the killing.
P.M. News asked Cyril why he removed the post:
“I was not on the spot to accuse any one. Let us wait for police investigations,” he responded.
Well, the police had also issued a statement not making any specific accusation.
The statement blamed “unknown gunmen” for the dastardly killing in Nkpor Anambra state.
According to a statement by Police PRO, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, which was released on behalf of the police commissioner, Tony Olofu, the gunmen seemed to have lost every iota of human conscience and sensibility.
The Police statement said that at about 5.00p.m. around the Nkpor Roundabout and without any provocation, some gunmen attacked and shot a police inspector attached to a Very Important Personality (VIP).
“At Afor Nkpor Junction, three unidentified bodies were recovered, a burnt Toyota Hilux and a vandalised Toyota Hummer bus were also seen at the crime scene.
“The lifeless bodies were taken to the hospital and regrettably one of the bodies was identified as one Dr Chike Akunyili”, Ikenga said in the statement.
He said the bandits also beheaded a yet-to-be identified man and thereafter fled the scene of the crime.