Anxiety in Anambra as bomb explosion reportedly rocks site of Deputy Speaker’s new house

There is palpable tension in Awka, the Anambra state capital following a bomb explosion at the new site of house of the deputy speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Hon Pascal Agbodike.

The explosion reportedly occurred at a building under construction located at the think home estate Agu Awka.

According to a source close to the victim’s family, the explosion damaged some structures at the on-going building construction in the area.

The source however added that no casualty was recorded in the incident.

Meanwhile the deputy speaker of the Anambra state House of Assembly Hon Pascal Agbodike had already petitioned the Anambra state police command over the alleged explosion.

A police source at the crime monitoring unit CMU, Area Commander Amawbia who confirmed the report said the deputy, speaker petitioned the commissioner of police office and the matter was referred to the unit for investigation.

According the dependable police source, who did not want his name mentioned said the police was already investigating the matter

He said, “We have started preliminary investigation, but it is too early for us to confirm whether it is a bomb explosion or not.

“We have also discovered that it is not far from land dispute that has been lingering in court for years in which there are vested interests

“we have invited one of the suspect in the petition, he is here and the speaker to come for face to face interview since morning but the speaker sent a text that he will be coming by 4pm.

“We want him also to produce those who are living witnesses during the explosion.

“Those who will say yes, I was there or a neighbor who will say I heard the bang of the explosion, since he said he was not there when the incident happened.

“They even came and said they wanted to remove the debris there, but we asked them not to go near there for now.

Brick layers were said to be working at the new building under construction.

On further investigation it was discovered that the property has been under contention between the former Vice chancellor of Nnamdi Azukiwe University Awka, Prof. Ilochi Okafor and Bekilo poultry and Agricultural farms (WA) limited and now Hon Pascal Agbodike, deputy speaker of Anambra state House of Assembly on the other hand.

In a petition to the commissioner of police from the office of Steve Unachukwu and Co Solicitor to Chief Jude Osude, dated June 23, 2020 the petition alleged the continued threat by all means including but not limited to mob action, intimidation, trespass, forceful entry, assaults and all such multitude of diverse activities.

These are all meant to disposes him of his lawful and legal properties by professor Ilochi and now Hon Agbodike using all government machineries and operatives at their deposal.

The petitioner contended that when the police invited the parties, they directed the parties to stop any form of entry into the land to carry on activities on the land but the order of the police has been flagrantly disobeyed by the Hon deputy speaker who is up till now carrying building construction activities in the said land.

He said the company has a subsisting and legitimate certificate of occupancy registered as 44/44/31 and dated 30th April 1993 and is a valid beneficiary of two court judgment in favor of the company against the opponent and there proxies.

They have continued to build on the land a Gas plant which contravene the public policy directives of the Anambra state government.

“It is the law that when a matter or case is in court, the parties are stopped from doing anything that would render upon the court a situation of fair accompli. He said the petition of explosion is a diversionary measure to enable them continues building on the land.

The deputy speaker told journalist that he only made a report to the police that he was informed of the explosion . “I was not there” “I only made my report for the police to investigate the matter”.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Haruna Mohamed denied knowledge of any bomb explosion in the state.