The Ozubulu murder case has taken a new dimension as the matter has been administratively transferred from Nnewi High Court to Awka High Court on Friday, following heightened tension over security and the increasing number of the crowd during court sittings.
Since the trial of the four suspects at Court 3, Nnewi, it is a usual sight of a large crowd from Ozubulu besieging the court premises in solidarity to any of the persons standing trial with attendant arguments and protests as part of their activities.
READ ALSO: Several Killed As Gunmen Attack Church In Anambra
As the dust of the transfer has yet to settle, the fifth prosecuting witness and former President-General of Ozubulu Development Union in South Africa, Nkwado Onyeka, gave his testimony in the case.
He gave his evidence with a chilling tale of the genesis of the killing, starting with his wife who was murdered few hours after dropping him off at Tabo Mbeki Airport in South Africa, for a flight to New York.
Onyeka said the killing did not stop as two other young men, Nonso Ikedinobi and Izuamaka Dunu, were murdered in South Africa alongside six other prominent Ozubulu people resident in South Africa.
The witness revealed further that two Ozubulu sons currently serving prison terms in South Africa were responsible for the killings, in collaboration with one of the men standing trial by name Nonso Akpunonu.
He told the court that the suspects had sworn that the killings would not stop until the sum of $1million was released to them.
The prosecuting counsel, JayJay Ezeuko, and the defence counsel, Festus Keyamo, cross-examined the witness after which the presiding judge, Justice Festus Aniukwu, adjourns the matter till May 4, 11 and 25 for continued hearing.
Several persons were killed by gunmen on August 6, 2017, while worshipping at St. Philips Catholic Church in Ozubulu located in Ekusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The state governor, Willie Obiano, as well as the Federal and other state governments had condemned the attack with some describing it as a sacrilege.
Governor Obiano had also vowed to ensure that the culprits were brought to justice and called for calm when he visited the scene of the attack to commiserate with the victims.
