A businessman, Mr Femi Babalola and the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Oyo State branch, have called for a thorough investigation into the killing of Dr Chike Akunyili, by unknown gunmen.

Akunyili, the widower of the late Prof. Dora Akunyili, a former Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) was killed on Tuesday in Anambra State.

The deceased was killed by unknown gunmen after attending the memorial lecture organised for his late wife.
In separate interviews on Thursday, in Ibadan, Babalola and NUP Secretary, Mr Olusegun Abatan, condemned the killing, describing it as premeditated.

They called on security agencies in the country to ensure that the perpetrators were brought to justice, stressing that the frequent killings in the country could scare investors from coming to the country if not checked.

Babalola urged the security agencies to do more with respect to intelligence gathering to nip crimes in the bud before they occur.

He said that what Nigeria security agencies always did, was to try to identify the culprits after the crime had been committed, saying it was better to do more on intelligence gathering to prevent the crime from happening.

The business mogul said that the Akunyili families had contributed immensely to the development of the country and that the perpetrators of the gruesome murder must be brought to book.

Also, Abatan, who on behalf of Oyo State pensioners commiserated with the Akunyili family over the loss of their patriarch, said the death has made the children orphans, irrespective of their age.

The NUP secretary said that he cherished the deceased for allowing his late wife to blossom and follow her career to the peak without hindrance.

“In some homes, the husbands will be jealous of the progress of their wives and constitute a stumbling block to their progress.

“All men of good conscience should follow the character of Dr Chike Akunyili, by not limiting the career or journey of their wives to stardom,” NUP secretary said.

Abatan called for reorientation of Nigerians on education of the girl -child in order not to see female education as unnecessary.

He said that God has created both male and female equally and they must be given equal chances to excel in their chosen careers.

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The NUP secretary further called on parents to limit the number of children to the ones they can care for.

He charged them to jettison the idea of having many children that would later constitute nuisance and breed insecurity in the society.

Abatan said that many of those children that lack proper training and care, end up being recruited by bandits, Boko Harams, and kidnappers; resulting in insecurity being witnessed in the country today.