No fewer than nine suspected kidnappers and killers of Hon. Justice Azuka, a member representing Onitsha North 1 Constituency in Anambra state House of Assembly who was kidnapped in Onitsha on December 24, 2024 have been arrested by joint security operatives in the state.
The suspects, according to the source, were arrested during a joint operation by men of the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, Awkuzu, formerly known as Special AntI-Robbery Squad, SARS, men of newly created security outfits in the state, Agunaechemba, Udo Ga Achi and men of the Special Anti-Touting Squad of Anambra State, SASA.
A joint statement issued to newsmen by the security operatives mentioned those so far arrested as one Kelvin Ikechukwu Ossai (aka Ikem, 16) from Aboh in Delta state but resides in Ogbe-Ukwu in Ogbaru Local Government Area, Anambra State, one Ekene from Ebonyi State who shot Hon Justice Azuka twice on the leg, Prince, aka Tukwasi from Abia State, Uzo from Imo state, Ugoo aka Ojiekpere among others.
The statement added that the suspects were all arrested in Asaba, Delta state except two suspects that were arrested at the Bridgehead after serious exchange of gun fire.
According to the statement, their operational weapons were also recovered from them. These included two pump action riffles at Osa Dennis Secondary School in Asaba, Delta state capital, which were buried inside the school compound.
According to Ikem, one of the principal suspects, in a confessional statement, we were not contracted by anybody to kidnap Azuka. He just ran into us while we were in an operation and we decided to abduct him.
The gang members, according to the spokesperson of the joint team who does not want his name in print were living large in Asaba with the proceeds of their operational activities in Anambra State where over 200 persons have been kidnapped in the last one year. “Cars and cash taken away from victims were being used by the hoodlums to live this ostentatious lifestyle. They were brutal and operated unchallenged”.
The team said efforts were being made to arrest the fleeing gang members like Ugoo Kewe, Nonso and others.
This successful operation was led by Agunaechemba, the newly inaugurated security outfit in Anambra State”.
Meantime, more condemnations have continued to trail the ugly trend.
The Civil Liberties Organization, CLO Anambra State Branch in condemning the ugly trend, said it received the news of Hon. Azuka”s gruesome murder with a devastating shock, describing it as, barbaric and inhumane.
In a press issued in Onitsha, Chairman of CLO in Anambra state, Conrade Vincent Ezekwueme said: “we condemn the impunity in tandem with assertion of Susana Callings “that anyone who kill an innocent person will lose everything he is and he has” in addition to the Scripture “thou shall not kill” hence sacredness, sanctity and dignity of human persons must be respected and safeguarded at all cost”.
“May our merciful God forgive and forget his shortcomings and grant his humble and gentle soul eternal repose.
We pray to God to give his immediate family, His Royal Majesty Igwe Alfred Achebe, Labour Party, Anambra State House of Assembly, Onitsha North Constituency I and loved ones the grace and fortitude to bear and endure the irreparable and irreplaceable loss”.
May they accept our heartfelt condolences and assurances of our fervent prayers at this mournful and sorrowful moment We equally commend patriotism and assiduousness of gallant security men that recovered his decomposing body and apprehended the culprits”.
“We reiterate our incessant calls to Gov. Charles Soludo to beef up security and overhaul security architecture of state and we also commend relentless efforts of newly inaugurated Security Outfit in State,”Agunechemba” and wish them more breakthrough in their onerous task of tackling security challenges bedeviling the state and safeguarding the state”, CLO posited.
Ndigbo Unity Forum, NUF, in their own reaction, signed by it’s President, Augustine Chukwudumebi, regretted the failure of Governor Soludo on security for nearly three years now, hence the criminals have besieged the state”.
“NUF wishes to call on the executive Governor of Anambra state, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo to work towards improving the security lapses which has been witnessed by the residents of the state for nearly three years now as something that must be tackled seriously and not to be treated with kid gloves because what is happening in the state today has reminded us of those hallowed days between 1995 to 2000 that you cannot move from one street to another with vegetable in black nylon not to talk of carrying bag or brief cas”.
“But if the governor has forgotten so quickly, we the people that were born and grew up in Anambra have not forgotten and that is why we are calling on the governor to sit up and stop playing politics with people’s lives because those people who are being kidnapped, and killed are someone” children, they are people’s’ fathers, mothers, uncles, aunties, brothers, sisters, cousins, nephews, nieces and bread winners to larger number of people”.
“But today, they have gone beyond their boundaries because of negligence of Anambra state Governor. It is very shameful that a man like Soludo, who has travelled to most developed countries, in the world and saw how those state in those countries, are preventing and fighting crime to barest minimum cannot replicate it here in Anambra state, instead anytime the issue of security was raised the response from the governor is politics, because he is a professor who knows everything that he does not need advice from anybody or group”.
“Honestly, we are not saying that the governor is not working, actually he is working on roads to be motorable, building of hosptial, schools and recruitment of teacher’s, among others. We doff our cap for him.but the area he failed is area of security of life.that is what is left to be dealt with full seriousness, because it is getting out of hands”.
“NUF hereby suggest the way forward by calling on the governors to bring retired senior officers from army, navy, airforce, police, DSS and other security agencies and set up security committee to be headed by a retired army general all of them must be indigenes of Anambra state”.
“Secondly, all the local government chairmen, all the Presidents-General, PGs, Ndi Igwe, Youth leaders and all the market chairmen must be mandated to form strong vigilante that will eradicate these criminals, because every crime is local”.
Credit: Vanguard News Nigeria