30 Of Ozubulu Brothers Killed In South Africa Since Rift Began

Not less than 30 indigene of Ozubulu community residing in South Africa has been killed, following the recent aggro of a drug deal gone wrong.

It should be recalled that the shooting incident that happened at the St Philip's Catholic Church claimed 13 souls and more than 28 others sustained life threatening injuries.

When reporters from Vanguard contacted the villagers, they were informed that about 5 of their children were killed in South Africa recently and about 30 adults from Ozubulu living in South Africa has been reported dead under violent circumstances within the last 10 years as a result from different drug deals and disagreement emanating from leadership of the Ozubulu Development Union ODU leadership in South Africa.

Though the people of Ozubulu had since the incident at St Philips Catholic Church, tried as much as possible to forget about the issue of linking the shooting in the church with the problems associated with drug business by some people from the community, palatial mansions dotting the various compounds in the area could give the community out as an area that was not experiencing ongoing hardship in the country.

According to Vanguard, all the indigens of Ozubulu in South Africa are into drug deals and other dubious trades. Saturday Vanguard made inquiries about the owners of the mansions and discovered that most of their owners reside in South Africa and were either dead or had not returned home for a long time due to fear associated with the nature of their businesses. Looking at some of the houses, it was obvious that they had been abandoned for a long time. It was gathered that many of the people who own the houses consistently contribute meaningfully towards community development through their relations, especially in the area of church building, road rehabilitation, market construction, among other projects.


The Ozublu community is a rapidly developing settlement with lots of houses under construction and some abadoned.
One of the villagers who wanted her identity concealed had revealled to the reporter that most of development in their community was financed mainly by their children living in South Africa with their relative on ground to oversee work been done.


In the case of Chief Aloysius Ikegwuonu, popularly called ‘Bishop’ it is said that he started contributing towards the development of Ozubulu many years ago and before he returned home and got involved in community development. He  was awarded a chieftaincy title by the community even in his absence because of  his contributions towards the development of the community.


The Monarch of Ozubulu, Igwe Oruche said he is not familiar with Bishop, but the coronation committee recommended him because of his contributions towards the development of the community.


 Igwe Oruche collaborated the story of the villager about the problem starting over 10 years ago in South Africa.

when ODU, which has a branch in South Africa, wanted to elect a new President- General there. He said: “This created a major disagreement over who would be their leader in that country and it eventually tore them apart.

The President General of the Ozubulu Development Union ODU in Ozubulu and in Diaspora, Engr. Norbert Anigbogu intervened by inviting the agrieved parties back home for a peaceful resolution of the problem.

They were made to take an Oath of oness in a bid to quench the rift between them, but they refused claiming to be christians and their religion does not permit them to do such.

It was then the Catholic priest was involved to have them take a ''christian oath'' which they did.

This enraged the traditional priest, he called the oath null and void- with this, the war between them was rekindled.

 The Monarch said that despite the disagreement, another executive of ODU three years ago, invited Bishop and his supporters and the rival group to return home for another peace talk,  after appealing to them to maintain peace, both parties visited the Blessed Sacrament of St. Michael Catholic Church, Ozubulu, where they also embraced themselves and let go of the past.

 The monarch said that  Ozubulu witnessed an Incident similar to the St Philip's Catholic Church bloog bath  in 2007 when four vigilante members from the community were murdered in cold blood in Ukpor, a neighbouring town, adding that it was a man on the palm tree that saw the killers when they were cutting off some of their body parts.

The Traditional ruler called on the state and federal governments to assist the community in tracking the killers and bring them to book, promising that the people of the community would not rest until the killers are identified .