Assassins Who Attempted To Kill Dora Akunyili Sometime Ago Mourns Her Death

ONITSHA— Two suspects, Olisa Igbokwe and Christopher Mba, awaiting trial in prison custody for allegedly attempting to assassinate the late former Director-General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Professor Dora Akunyili, in 2003, have joined millions of Nigerians in mourning her death.

This came as Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP, Anambra State chapter, yesterday joined in mourning late Akunyili.

The accused persons conveyed their condolences to the Akunyili family from their prison custody yesterday, when Mr. Okemonwu Akuma, Chairman of Anambra State chapter of Nkporo Youths Association, Ohafia, Abia State, of which one of the suspects, Igbokwe, is an indigene, visited them in the custody.

They noted that although they were being falsely accused and detained, they were still expressing dissatisfaction with her untimely exit, even as they recalled that the late Akunyili had told them that she was blaming the court for their incarceration in jail, and that justice delayed was justice denied.

Also contributing, the National President of the group, Chief Arunsi I Uka, in corroborating what Akuma said, recalled that when wives of the accused once visited Akunyili before her death and pleaded with her to allow the court release Igbokwe to enable him bury his late mother, Akunyili told them that she was not in a position to grant such a request.
It would be recalled that on December 26, 2003, gunmen rained bullets on Akunyili in an attempt to assassinate her when she visited her home town, Agulu, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State.
She escaped death by the whiskers as the bullets pierced through her head tie. She was then Director-General of NAFDAC.

Consequently, Mba and Igbokwe were arrested and charged to court alongside three other suspects, but after a year trial, the matter was struck out and all the suspects discharged. However, Akunyili appealed against their discharge and Mba and Igbokwe were re-arrested.
CNPP mourns

Similarly, the CNPP in a statement by its state Chairman and Secretary, Oby Okafor and Peter Okala, respectively, in Onitsha, yesterday, described her sudden death as a great loss to all the political parties in the country, Anambra State and Nigeria in general.
CNPP further stated that her resourcefulness was what the present day government of Anambra State would have needed to fast-track development.
It extended its condolences to the people and govern-ment of Anambra State, the bereaved Akunyili family and the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA.