Gunmen suspected to be IPOB members have killed an 88-year-old retired university professor, I.O Onyemelukwe, in Oko community, Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

Onyemelukwe, a professor of Economics is said to be the father of Prof Cheluchi Onyemelukwe, a Nigerian-Canadian scholar and winner of the Nigeria prize for Literature, 2021. 

Prof Cheluchi, who confirmed the incident to PUNCH on Saturday, said, “My heart is heavy. It is the hardest thing that Nigeria happed to my father. We don’t even know where we are headed in this country, but I’m glad he lived an exemplary and lesson-filled life will try to put up something tomorrow.” 

It was gathered that the gunmen had on Thursday, February 25, stormed Oko and blocked vehicles coming from Umunze, Ufuma, into the community. 

Sources said the gunmen killed the octogenerian in the less than one hour operation, while they abducted two men who were said to have been unable to answer questions about their “self determination.”

One Onyi, who also confirmed the murder of the late professor said that the deceased was returning to Nanka from Enugu with his wife when gunmen attacked them. 

“South East is indeed going down. Just lost my Godfather to the hands of the marauding killers devastating the Southeast environment,” he wrote. 

“An 88 year old man, first class brain, Prof I.O.Onyemelukwe. He was the former permanent secretary in the old Anambra State. Later a Professor of Economics at UNIZIK.

“He studied Economics with OAU scholarship at Adis Ababa, Ethiopia at the age of 22. He is the father of Dr Cheluchi Onyemelukwe that won LNG $100,000 literature prize last year.”

“He was returning to Nanka from Enugu with his wife and decided to follow Oji, Ufuma, Amaokpala, Oko axis instead going through Awka when he was attacked by this hoodlums. He is the cousin of the former Bishop on the Niger, Bishop J.A.Onyemelukwe. May his soul rest in peace, Amen!”