Late Prof Felix Okpilike
Chief Julius Okpilike, senior brother to Late Prof Felix Okpilike, has described his late brother as a man of peace, and embodiment of love. Chief Felix Okpilike, who spoke to Ndokwa Reporters at the country home of the late Associate professor at Obiaruku, headquarters of Ukwuani Local Government Area in the presence of late Okpilike son and Chief Phil Ojobo, said the brother died on their way from kwale to visit their ailing mother who was undergoing treatment in Kwale on Sunday, June 8, 2014.
Describing how the late brother died, he said that at Iselegu junction along the busy Asaba-Kwale highway they heard the sound of gun shot and immediately, late Prof Felix Okpilike shouted that he had been hit by bullet and at a closer examination they saw blood gushing out from his side. And to stop the bleeding, they tired the gun wound, and the professor who was driving continued with the driving to Onitcha Ukwuani, where a traditional medicine man was able to extract the bullet from the body. The sister, who was also travelling with them, was hit by bullet on her left leg. He said the incident occurred as they were about to navigate to the Utagba Uno road.
Speaking further, Chief Okpilike said that they now decided to take him back to kwale, to the Kwale General Hospital for proper medical attention after the extraction of the bullet, but he could not get to the hospital as he died few metres to the Kwale General Hospital.
According to him the body of the late Professor has since been deposited at the Obiaruku General Hospital Morgue.
On what led to the shooting of the late academician, he said that despite the communal conflict between the people of Iselegu and Ibabu, there was no sign of any disturbances on that very moment as there was no sign of persons or groups or sign of road blockage all they heard was the gun shot that led to the death of his younger brother, who was among the entourage that visited the sick mother at kwale. Others were late Profs Wife, Chief Julius Okpilike, and their sister, Mrs Bridget Ossai who also sustained injury from the gun shot.
He was a Good Man- Hon Gabriel Uti
The Vice Chairman, Transition Committee, Ukwuani Local Government Council has described the late Professor Felix Okpilike as the peoples man. He called him a socialite who does not fail any occasion, if disposed to do so.
A man of Peace- Chief Ojobo
Chief Phil Ojobo, a friend and political associate says that the late Professor was a man of peace and an ambassador of the Ndokwa Nation. He called him to be more of a politician, than an academician, who see the needs of others and feel that he must be involved to find solution to that need. To him, the death is more painful to the friends from the academic circle and politicians than to the immediate family.
Calamity- Prof Eric Arubayi
DELSU Vice Chancellor, Prof Eric Arubayi, described his death as a calamity, saying: “I am aware that he went to the village to see his sick mother. I saw him on Friday and we threw banters, not knowing he was going to die two days after. It is pathetic.”
NPSF calls for immediate deployment of security personnel
The Ndokwa Politcal Stakeholders Forum, NPSF, in a statement by the Secretary General, Mr. Oyibosochukwu Nwabueze, condemned the brutal killing and called on Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, Commissioner of Police and other security agencies to unravel the killing and bring perpetrators to book.
“NPSF calls for immediate deployment of security personnel to Iselegu junction to protect innocent people plying Asaba-Ughelli highway from further attack by gunmen at these communities, who have been in a senseless war,” the group said.
It also urged the chairmen of Ndokwa East and Ndokwa West Local Government Areas to “intervene and quickly resolve the protracted land dispute between Iselegu and Ibabu communities, which had led to the destruction of several lives and property on both sides and also paralyzed commercial activities in the ancient Iselegu market.”
