By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The family of late Mrs. Chiamaka Isabel Okeke (née Okonkwo), the woman reportedly shot dead earlier this year by an operative of the Agụnechemba/Udo Ga-Achị security outfit at Ibeto Junction, Nnewi, has formally announced her burial arrangements.
According to the obituary released by the families of Okeke and Okonkwo of Uruagu, Nnewi, the late mother will be laid to rest on Friday, November 28, 2025.
The release shows that the funeral rites will begin at 7:30a.m., when her body will leave the NAUTH Mortuary, Nnewi, for a brief stop at her father’s compound in Okpunoeze, Uruagu. It will then proceed to her husband’s residence in Akaboezem for lying-in-state.
Thereafter, a funeral mass will follow at 10:00a.m. at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, Akaboezem, before she is interred at her husband’s compound. An outing Mass is scheduled for Sunday, November 30, 2025.
The family described her passing as a painful and unforeseen tragedy, noting that the 2025 incident left then, their relatives and the entire community in shock.
According to them, Late Mrs. Okeke, whose untimely death sparked off a chain of public outrage in Nnewi and beyond, is remembered as a beloved wife, sister, aunt, and mother-in-law.
Recall that Mrs. Okeke’s killing on April 15, 2025, occurred when an Agụnechemba operative allegedly fired live rounds into the air while attempting to disperse a traffic jam so that their patrol vehicle could pass. The stray bullet from the gunshot, however, reportedly hit Mrs. Okeke, who was a road user at the scene, consequently resulting in her death.
Following the incident, the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, then appealed for calm and assured the public that the Command had opened an investigation to identify the officer involved and ensure justice. Through a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the CP described the shooting as unfortunate and restated the Command’s commitment to a thorough probe.
Subsequent updates gathered by this reporter revealed that the suspected security operative had been traced, identified, and taken into custody. The suspect, identified as 36-year-old Chinedu Okonkwo from Ezza in Ebonyi State, was said to have recently joined the security outfit before the incident. Upon his identification, the suspect was then detained while investigations continued.
With Mrs. Okeke’s burial coming up next week, the community of Uruagu, where both her maternal and marital families reside, is expected to witness a large turnout of sympathizers, as relatives, acquaintances, and other mourners prepare to pay their last respects.
For some of the residents who have commented on the burial poster on social media, the burial will reopen wounds and renew calls for stricter oversight and discipline among non-state security outfits operating across Anambra State.
On his own part, the husband of the victim, Mr. Anthony Okeke, who signed the burial announcement on behalf of the family, expressed hope that the ceremony will honour his late wife’s memory and also offer closure to those deeply affected by her painful passing barely seven months ago.
