Ex-Onitsha Chamber of Commerce President battles for life after attack by govt. agents

A disturbing incident has shaken the Anambra State, leaving many in shock and outrage.

Mr. Akaneme Okechukwu, a respected leader and former president of the Onitsha Chamber of Commerce, lies critically ill at Memphis Hospital in Enugu, struggling to survive after an alleged vicious attack by agents of the Anambra State Waste Management Authority (ASWAMA).

On October 11, 2024, a team of ASWAMA officials, led by Joseph Okoye and accompanied by two armed police operatives, stormed Mr. Akaneme’s residence, brutally assaulting him over an unpaid waste management levy. The assault resulted in a broken spinal cord, leaving the 60-year-old fighting for his life.

Instead of providing immediate medical attention, the attackers abandoned Mr. Akaneme, leaving him for dead.

It was his neighbors and employees who rushed him to Holy Rosary Specialist Hospital and Maternity, and later to the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), where an MRI revealed a 65% damage to his spinal cord.

The lack of accountability is staggering. ASWAMA’s head, Mike Ifeanyi Ozoemena, has callously claimed Mr. Akaneme is feigning injury, while Commissioner for Environment Felix Odimegwu and Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo have remained silent, despite the gravity of the situation.

The inaction of Anambra’s business and media community is equally alarming. The Onitsha Chamber of Commerce, which Mr. Akaneme once led, took over a month to speak out, fearing that condemning the attack would be perceived as criticizing the government.

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