There is tension in the Ozubulu community as a South African-based business man, Aloysius Ikegwuonu, a.k.a. Bishop, buries his father, Cyprian Ikegwuonu, today (Friday).

Cyprian Ikegwuonu, a 75-year old man was among the 13 persons killed on August 6, last year when gunmen attacked the St. Philip’s Catholic Church, Ozubulu while twenty-nine other persons were wounded in the attack.

It was alleged that the assailants were after ‘Bishop’ following a business misunderstanding, but rather killed his father, when they could not get at him.

A police source told our correspondent that arrangements had been concluded to deploy no fewer than 500 policemen to the burial following renewed threats by the attackers that they might strike during the funeral.

Nkeiruka Nwode, Police Public Relations Officer Anambra State Command, confirmed the deployment of policemen to the burial but she declined to give the number of policemen involved.

She said the command was not leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that there was peace in the area.

Nwode said, “As we are talking now, so many of our men have been drafted to the community to make sure that adequate security is provided.

“What happened on that fateful day was unfortunate and the command does not want to encounter such again in this state or elsewhere.

“Every single person or group coming for the burial will be adequately screened because the command sees the security of the people as our number one priority.”

The son of the deceased (Bishop) told journalists on Thursday that everything had been put in place to give his father a befitting burial.

He said he was still pained by what happened, adding that God would not allow such calamity to befall the community again.