…Says truth must prevail over false narratives
The lingering crisis in Isuaniocha, Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State, has once again been brought to the spotlight as Chief Damian Nnaemene, a senior citizen and the Awka North Coordinator of the SSG, boldly speaks out against what he describes as false narratives surrounding the conflict since 2018.
In a detailed statement, Chief Nnaemene lays the blame for the bloodshed, kidnappings, and violence squarely on the shoulders of Anthony Onyeagolu and his elder brother, Festus Onyeagolu, whom he accuses of orchestrating chaos to fulfill a selfish ambition of making Festus the Igwe of Isuaniocha. He likened Anthony’s leadership to that of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, who, after shedding too much blood, saw no need to stop.
Chief Nnaemene recounts how, under Anthony Onyeagolu’s tenure as President-General, Isuaniocha experienced an unprecedented wave of violence—hired assassins, kidnappings, police intimidation, and even the killing of a DSS official in 2023. He insists that no previous PG had ever dragged the community into such turmoil, citing respected past leaders who upheld peace.
He urges Governor Chukwuma Soludo and security agencies to stop being misled by false reports and take decisive action against the real culprits. According to him, the alleged sponsors of the crisis, particularly Festus Onyeagolu, who resides in Ghana, should let go of their destructive ambitions to allow peace to return.
Read his full statement below:
OUR GOVERNOR MUST HEAR THIS TRUTH: LIES AND FALSE NARRATIVES SURROUNDING THE CRISIS IN ISUANIOCHA SINCE 2018
By Chief Damian Nnaemene, Senior Citizen of Isuaniocha / Awka North Coordinator SSG
No matter how fast and viral falsehood will go with inducement, no matter how smart the peddler will be, one day established truth will reset the minds of Godly listeners to grab it without fear or favor.
This is the case of Anthony Onyeagolu, the acclaimed PG of Isuaniocha with a family agenda to divide and rule to fulfill the inordinate ambition of his elder brother, Festus Onyeagolu, to be the Igwe of Isuaniocha as “EZE ONYE EGHENEONU 1 N’ISUANIOCHA.” Festus is the chief sponsor of all these crises—this is the first verifiable truth.
Anthony Onyeagolu’s era as PG is likened to the warlord Macbeth in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. When a prophecy warned him to stop bloodshed, he defied it, saying:
I am in blood stepped in so far, returning is as tedious as going over.
This means that having spilled so much blood, stopping was no longer an option—it was easier to continue killing than to turn back.
This is the problem Anthony Onyeagolu and his brother Festus Onyeagolu now find themselves in. Having wasted so much blood in Isuaniocha, they believe repentance will not give them the mandate they seek. So, they continue the bloodshed, and they will never find peace in life because of the endless crises they have created. Another verifiable truth.
For context, in the history of Isuaniocha’s leadership, we have never witnessed a crisis that claimed innocent lives, let alone those of Isuaniocha citizens—this is a sacrilege against our long-standing tradition. But Anthony Onyeagolu introduced it, and he continues to do so. This is the verifiable truth.
Past Presidents-General of Isuaniocha: A Comparison
1. Late Chief Innocent Okonkwo, the Onowu of Isuaniocha from Umuelom village (circa 1980s).
2. Chief Chukwuma Okoye “Ugochimalueze” from Ifite-Isu village, former Commissioner for Education, Anambra State (of blessed memory).
3. Engr. Bond Enweani from Umuelom village (who later joined the dissidents, saying, “If you cannot win them, join them.”).
4. Chief Alfred Nkwonta from Otoko village, an erudite scholar and retired Registrar of Federal Polytechnic, Oko.
These men led Isuaniocha with dignity. While there were disagreements, as in any community, there was never kidnapping, hired thugs, police harassment, or bloodshed.
Now let’s examine the leadership of Anthony Onyeagolu:
5. When Anthony Onyeagolu from Otoko village became the first “new generation” President-General in late 2017, everything changed.
- Firearms infiltrated the community.
- Armed thugs and unknown gunmen were hired.
- Drug abuse became a norm among the youth.
- Kidnapping, terrorism, and police intimidation skyrocketed.
- A DSS official was killed in 2023, with others hospitalized by gunshots.
- Vandalism and high-profile robberies became rampant.
All these were introduced by one man—Anthony Onyeagolu—in 2018. This is the verifiable truth, with documents as evidence.
Governor Soludo, the Truth Must Prevail
Your Excellency, I urge you to see the real cause of the Isuaniocha crisis. The wrong people are being arrested while the true perpetrators manipulate the system.
Let us leave aside the secondary school land issue—it is a distraction. The real discussion should be about how an individual, with the backing of his brother in Ghana, has turned our peaceful community into a battlefield.
The bloodshed began with the attempted murder of Chidiebele Okoye on November 18, 2018, followed by the kidnapping and murder of Angus Okoye on December 15–16, 2018. Both crimes were carried out by the same paid gang led by Ifeanyi Anizoba, alias Ichafu.
This is the verifiable truth.
Your Excellency, let us not shy away from the facts. There is documented evidence proving who caused and continues to fuel this crisis. We must not allow deception to take the place of justice.
Let us discuss the cause of our problems before discussing the course where our people are afraid to speak out for fear of arrest by zone 13 police formation already stationed for that purpose by Anthony Onyeagolu power influence for evil.
I have chosen to speak out the truth and die honourably to make heaven than standing for evil out of fear and die to go to hell.
Rhetorically, where has truth gone, that falsehood is dancing on the table of fairness, justice, and equity in Isuaniocha? ‘Ikpe malu eziokwu, aka azu di na ya.’”
Knowing the cause of a problem is halfway to solving it. But instead of focusing on the cause, false narratives have been crafted to distort reality.
Festus Onyeagolu, the chief sponsor living in Ghana, who swore to destroy Isuaniocha after failing to become Igwe, and his brother Anthony Onyeagolu, must abandon their selfish ambitions. They must stop the killings, stop turning our able-bodied youths into cripples, and go for restitution to appease the land.
Your Excellency, I can provide you with a list of all the Isuaniocha people assassinated by Anthony Onyeagolu and those who have been maimed for life.
Thank you very much.
DISCLAIMER: This report contains the statement of Chief Damian Nnaemene and does not necessarily reflect the views of Daily News Reporters. Our role is to provide a platform for all sides to be heard.
