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Tragic Assassination of Anambra Lawyer and Client After Court Session Rocks Aguleri Community

Anambra State, Nigeria – A cloud of grief and outrage hangs heavily over Anambra State following the brutal assassination of a prominent legal practitioner, Barrister Rolex Ifeanyi Iloakasia, and his client, who were gunned down in broad daylight shortly after leaving a court session in Nanka town.

The incident, which occurred on Monday, May 13, 2025, near the Nanka-Agulu boundary, has plunged the Aguleri community into mourning and raised fresh concerns over the deteriorating state of security and rising targeted killings within the state.

Barrister Iloakasia, known for his brilliance, uprightness, and community leadership, was the President General of Aguleri, a respected title he held in addition to his legal practice. Sources described him as an active voice in legal and communal affairs, a man admired for his calm demeanor and unrelenting commitment to justice.

A Journey from Court to Death

According to eyewitnesses, the lawyer had just concluded a legal matter at the magistrate court in Nanka, Orumba North Local Government Area, where he appeared in defense of a client involved in a civil dispute. After the session, Barrister Iloakasia entered his private vehicle with the client to return to Awka.

“At the border between Nanka and Agulu, gunmen riding on a motorcycle intercepted their vehicle,” said a mechanic who witnessed the aftermath. “They blocked the car, opened fire without a word, and fled immediately. It was like something out of a movie—fast, precise, and clearly targeted.”

The lawyer and his client reportedly died on the spot, their bloodied bodies left inside the vehicle until bystanders summoned police officers. The assailants, said to be two in number, did not rob the victims nor take any property, further fuelling speculation that this was a premeditated hit rather than a random attack.

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The news of Barrister Iloakasia’s death spread rapidly through social media and community networks, sparking shock, disbelief, and widespread mourning in his hometown of Aguleri, Anambra East Local Government Area.

By Tuesday morning, the lawyer’s residence had turned into a pilgrimage site as family members, friends, political associates, and fellow lawyers arrived to pay condolences and express outrage over the brazen murder.

“This is not just a death—it is an assault on justice,” said Chief Cosmas Nwoye, a traditional leader in Aguleri. “How can a lawyer, a man representing the very spirit of law and order, be gunned down after leaving court? If lawyers are no longer safe, who then is?”

Who Was Barrister Rolex Ifeanyi Iloakasia?

A graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and alumnus of the Nigerian Law School, Barrister Iloakasia was called to the bar in 2007. Over the years, he built a reputation as a meticulous legal mind, especially in property, land, and family disputes.

But beyond the courtroom, he was deeply involved in community development. In 2021, he was elected President General of Aguleri Town Union, a position that saw him spearhead youth empowerment initiatives, community security forums, and land mediation programs across the town and neighboring communities.

His friends described him as deeply spiritual, soft-spoken, and passionate about justice. “He was a peace broker,” said Barrister Adaora Madu, a colleague in Awka. “He would rather negotiate a settlement than escalate a feud. That such a man was taken in this manner is a national disgrace.”

Motive Unknown, but Theories Abound

While the police have yet to release an official statement, various theories have already begun circulating regarding the possible motive behind the killing. Among them:

Whatever the reason, the method—swift, public, and without looting—points unmistakably to a targeted assassination.

This tragedy is the latest in a disturbing trend of violence, assassinations, and insecurity that has engulfed the Southeast region in recent years. From high-profile political killings to kidnappings of businessmen and the murder of security officers, the zone is battling a hybrid crisis of criminality and socio-political unrest.

Human rights activists say the government’s slow response to such killings emboldens the perpetrators.

“We are living in fear,” said Dr. Ifeanyi Ezeonwuka, an Onitsha-based civil rights advocate. “When lawyers, journalists, and priests become targets, society loses its protectors.”

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Awka Branch, has condemned the murder in strong terms, describing it as “barbaric, cowardly, and unacceptable.” In a statement issued by its chairman, Barrister Ifunanya Okoye, the NBA demanded an immediate investigation and the arrest of the killers.

“This is a dark day for the legal profession,” the statement read. “We mourn our brother. We stand with his family. And we demand justice—not in words, but in arrests, prosecutions, and convictions.”

The NBA further declared a week of mourning, during which all court proceedings in Anambra will be boycotted in protest. Black bands will also be worn by legal practitioners in solidarity with the fallen advocate.

Curiously, as of the time of filing this report, the Anambra State Government has not issued a formal condolence message or comment on the incident. This silence has stirred discontent among the lawyer’s associates and kinsmen, some of whom suspect that the attack may have deeper political or communal undertones.

“This kind of silence is dangerous,” said a family friend who pleaded anonymity. “When the state cannot even mourn a citizen assassinated in cold blood, it sends the wrong message.”

While Barrister Iloakasia’s identity has been widely confirmed, details regarding the client who was killed alongside him remain sketchy. Sources close to the case said the individual was a middle-aged man from Awka South, involved in a property dispute.

A senior police official who spoke off-record revealed that the deceased client may have also been the target, with the lawyer as collateral damage—or vice versa. Investigators are reportedly reviewing court documents and interviewing persons of interest to establish a motive.

Contacted by journalists, the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Tochukwu Ikenga, acknowledged awareness of the killing but said investigations were ongoing.

“We are working to get to the bottom of this,” Ikenga said. “We urge the public to remain calm and to volunteer any useful information. No arrest has been made yet, but we are following promising leads.”

Ikenga also confirmed that forensic teams have been dispatched to examine the vehicle, ballistic evidence, and surveillance footage from the area.

In Aguleri, vigilante groups have been placed on high alert amid fears of reprisals and rising tension. Youths, incensed by the killing, have vowed not to rest until the perpetrators are unmasked.

Candlelight processions were held Tuesday night across the town, with mourners chanting hymns and holding placards demanding justice. Some banners read: “You Killed a Lion, But Not His Voice,” “Justice for Rolex Iloakasia,” and “Our Lawyer, Our Hero.”

Religious leaders across denominations have also scheduled prayer vigils, with Catholic, Anglican, and Pentecostal churches jointly issuing a pastoral communique urging calm but insisting on justice.

In what has now been described as one of his final Facebook posts, Barrister Iloakasia shared a verse from the Book of Micah: “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” That post, dated just two days before his death, has since gone viral, with mourners sharing it as a haunting yet fitting epitaph.

His death, while tragic, has stirred deeper conversations about the safety of legal professionals, the ethics of court-related vendettas, and the moral obligation of government to protect citizens.

“We lost more than a man,” said Professor Dora Aniekwe of Nnamdi Azikiwe University. “We lost a bridge between law and humanity. We must build that bridge again—and this time, stronger.”

The assassination of Barrister Rolex Ifeanyi Iloakasia has put the Anambra justice system, the state government, and security architecture on trial. Beyond mourning, beyond rhetoric, the people of Aguleri and Anambra await concrete action: arrests, accountability, and assurances.

For now, all that remains are tears, memories, and questions—of who ordered the killing, why a lawyer doing his job became a target, and whether justice will finally be done for a man who spent his life chasing it for others.