More than a week after the interment of Pastor Ken Ekwasianya, his wife
Grace Ekwasianya and daughter, Chioma Ekwasianya murdered by unknown
gunmen on Feb. 4, the incident has continued to generate more reactions
from Azia in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra state.
This is particularly because of the bizarre manner that the incident
happened.
The family that hailed from Umuehiam Abam, Azia was murdered by unknown
gunmen inside their Church, the Church of God, Seventh-Day.
The incident was said to have happened as they were having their
mid-week service.
According to some eyewitnesses from the community, it was alleged that
the man, a retired principal, embezzled community funds and yet some
attributed the problem to a land dispute.
Amid the entire allegations, some other people testified to the
simplicity and goodness of the late pastor and his family.
During a visit to the family, one of the members of Ekwasianya family,
who pleaded anonymity, asked a rhetorical question, why God would allow
such calamity to befall them.
The source went philosophical, saying that anybody that had hands in the
killing, must regret why he or she was born.
It said that up to then, they could not ascertain the cause of the death
of their brother along with his family.
According to resident of the town, Mr Emma Ezendu from Abam Village, the
pastor was a good and simple man.
Another resident, Mr Eugene Okolieigwe from Umudansu said that he could
not stop crying for the deceased family, because the town had lost a
great family.
And yet another resident, Mrs Njideka Obiwulu said that she had yet to
believe that Pastor Ekwasianya and his family were gone like that.
“The assailants must surely meet their Waterloo sooner than later,”
she vowed.
Mrs Uju Odigbo from the town said that she always prayed for the
assassins to be brought to book soon.
Mr Nwachukwu Okoroafor, on his own, then, prayed for “thunder from the
skies, to come and strike the perpetrators of this dastardly act”.
The youths of Abam village and some other youths from other parts of the
town had demonstrated after the incident, to show the level of their
grievances and rejection of the sordid death.
It was gathered that a Funeral Church Service was held after which the
remains of the deceased were interred on Feb. 25.
The Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment,
Mr C Don Adinuba had attended the service to condole with the family,
and the entire town over their loss.