LP Tackles Soludo, Expresses Outrage Over Murder Of Lawmaker

By Adesina Soyooye

Points at political motives. Hints at possibilities

The Labour Party, Anambra State, has joined in expressing outrage over the gruesome murder of Honourable Justice Azuka, a member of the Anambra State House of Assembly.

Azuka was violently kidnapped by gunmen on December 24, 2024 within Onitsha metropolis, along Ugwunapampa Road, as he headed home for the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

His vehicle, a Range Rover, was found abandoned along the road on December 26, 2024, but with no trace of him.

In a shocking discovery, his badly decomposed body was found in the early hours of Thursday, February 6, by Security Operatives, dumped at the second River Niger Bridge, Onitsha. He had been gruesomely murdered and dumped in a most humiliating manner.

Anger and outrage have greeted this tragic incident, and condemnation has been coming like claps of thunder.

The State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo has not been spared as not a few people  express disappointment over what they see as his inability to contain the very terrible security situation in the State. Literally, they say, the State, under Soludo has been reduced to a huge killing field and funeral parlour. Armed gangs, killers, kidnappers reign supreme. And the Governor, they allege, seem helpless and clueless.

Not surprisingly, the Labour Party, which Legislator Azuka was, is devastated. The Party in a statement signed by its Anambra Chapter’s Spokesperson, Obiora Ifoh, said it is traumatised by the manner of Azuka’s abduction and gruesome murder and humiliation in death. It said Governor Soludo has completely lost the State to criminals, and has no will power to take it back and instil sanity. “Anambra is gradually assuming a hobbesian status”, the statement said.

Notably too, the Party, while not mentioning names, pointed at possible political motives. It called for a thorough investigation, and reminded of how Azuka recovered, through the Courts, his mandate which had, initially, been awarded to someone else.

The LP reaction reads in part:

“We are presently traumatised by this death and that of other deaths that have become a daily occurrence in Anambra State, a state that is gradually assuming a hobbesian status under the administration of Prof. Charles Soludo.

“Anambra has fully assumed the state of war, where life has suddenly become nasty, brutish, and short because the present leadership has completely lost the willpower to enforce law and sanity.

“We are pained because not long ago, the Labour Party candidate in the last governorship election in Anambra State, Obiora Agbasimelo, was abducted while campaigning, and as we speak, his whereabouts are still unknown.

“Neither the security agencies nor the government could account for his disappearance, and his family is left traumatised.

“The whole essence of a government is to provide security and well-being for the people; that constitutional provision is lacking in Anambra state at present.

“It is unbelievable and unspeakable that a personality as high as a legislator could be abducted for over a month and the government was incapable of rescuing him.

“Though information has it that the police have made arrests of some suspects, we are, however, calling for a proper and deeper investigation to unravel the real culprits.

“We are not by anyway suggesting a political motive. That would be left for the security agencies to determine; however, we are not unmindful of the circumstances that led to his regaining his mandate after a court ruling ousted the previous winner from another party, who was initially declared the winner of the 2023 election.”

The Police informed that the criminals who killed Azuka have been arrested.

A disturbing video of the scene where his body was dumped, showed a very emaciated decomposed Honourable Azuka, lying face-down, his clothes tattered.

Instructively, there were, also, a couple of other bodies dumped there. In the video, one of the arrested criminals was seen making confessions before security operatives.