Gunmen have tragically taken the lives of Barrister Peter Awa, Secretary General of the Okija Progressive Union, and Izuchukwu Igwenagha in the Okija community, located in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The incident occurred around 9 PM on Sunday, May 19, 2024.
Before his untimely death, Barrister Awa served as the Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ihiala Branch, and was also the Director of Public Prosecution for Anambra State.
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During the same incident, an unidentified businessman was kidnapped by the gunmen at Nkwo Okija while driving home from an event.
Awa, who also held the position of Chancellor of the Knights of St. Mulumba, Okija Sub Council, was killed in the market square of his Umudioka village. Izuchukwu Igwenagha, known locally as Onwa, was murdered in his Isieke village.
Okija was considered one of the most secure communities in Anambra due to its robust security measures. Neighboring communities often conducted burials and weddings there because of the safety provided.
The Okija Secretary had been elected in 2023 during a town union election organized by the Anambra Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Town Union Matters.
It was also reported that there was an attempted kidnapping of Awa’s wife, who is also a lawyer, in Ihiala, but the attempt was unsuccessful.
Awa had attended a village meeting just a few hours before he was murdered.
A senior police officer in the state confirmed the incident to The Nation on Monday, stating that security operatives had already been deployed to the area.
