Dr. Chike Akunyili, widower of the late Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Dora Akunyili, has been killed by gunmen at Nkpor, in the Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Seven other persons were also killed in the incident, yet-to-be-confirmed reports allege.
The incident reportedly happened on Monday evening.
Our correspondent gathered that Dr. Akunyili was returning from a trip to Onitsha, where he had gone to obtain a posthumous award of excellence for his late wife, when he ran into the hoodlums at Nkpor and was shot and killed.
The hoodlums, it was gathered, were chanting, “No election in Anambra in November.”
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Ikenga Tochukwu, could not confirm the report, noting that he had yet to get details of the incident.
Our correspondent reports that the Agulu community, where the Akunyilis hailed from, is mourning; adding, however, that, “Nobody is ready to talk to the press.”
A former vice-president of Agulu community, who is also a retired Information Officer with the Federal Ministry of Information, confirmed the incident to our correspondent on the telephone, but asked for publication to be delayed without giving reasons.
The Anambra State Commissioner for Information also confirmed the incident but asked to be given time to obtain clearance to discuss the issue.