Ebonyi State was thrown into mourning on Thursday as Governor Francis Nwifuru led a solemn state burial for eleven indigenes massacred by unidentified gunmen at Ogboji, Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State on May 30, 2025.
The ceremony, held at Unity Square in Abakaliki, was marked by tears and outrage as coffins draped in white lined the arena, with grieving families, friends, state officials, and sympathizers gathered to bid farewell to the victims.
Governor Nwifuru, visibly shaken, condemned the killings and lamented the persistent targeting of Ebonyi indigenes in Anambra and other parts of Igboland. He expressed deep frustration that, several weeks after the tragedy, no arrests had been made.
As part of immediate intervention, the governor announced a relief package of N5 million to each bereaved family, totaling over N60 million, with a directive that the funds be channeled into small-scale businesses within Ebonyi. The gesture, he explained, was aimed at empowering widows and children left behind and discouraging migration to unsafe environments.
“Our people must not continue to suffer humiliation and death in a land that should be home for all Igbos. I urge the families to remain strong, invest this money here in Ebonyi, and never again seek survival in places where their lives are treated as expendable,” Nwifuru declared.
The governor also issued a passionate call for unity in Igboland, warning against discrimination, hostility, and internal divisions that fuel insecurity.
“We cannot afford to treat one another as second-class citizens. Igbos must learn to respect, love, and accommodate each other. Any act of maltreatment or division only weakens us and leads to more bloodshed,” he stressed.
The victims, mostly young men in their prime, left behind widows and orphans. Among them is 20-year-old Mrs. Ofim, now widowed with an infant, a heartbreaking reminder of the human cost of the massacre.
Top government officials, including the Commissioner for Information, Barr. Ikeuwa Omebe, and the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Moses Ekuma, joined in condemning the killings and assured the families of sustained government support.
Prayers were offered for the repose of the deceased before the coffins were lowered with full state honors. They were later transported to their respective hometowns for final burial rites.
The Ogboji massacre remains under investigation, further underscoring the worsening insecurity in the Southeast and the urgent need for stronger protection of citizens across state lines.
