Outrage As Hon. Azuka’s Killers Escape from Anambra Police Custody

By Charles Igbo

The questions being asked are: Were the suspects not handcuffed and leg-chained? If not, why? How come, out of the many well-armed Operatives, none kept an eye on the suspects? Was the “famous okeite” at work?

Outrage has greeted the disclosure by the Anambra State Police Command that two suspects arrested in connection with the gruesome murder of Honourable Justice Azuka have escaped from its custody.

The question that beggars belief is: Anambra Police Command, how could you?

Azuka, a Member of the Anambra State House of Assembly was abducted on December 24, 2024, in Onitsha town, on his way home for the Christmas and New Year break. He was the representative of Onitsha North State Constituency.

On February 6, 2025, a Joint Security Operation  discovered his  decomposed body at the Second River Niger Bridge, Onitsha. The public was, also, told that all the suspects, connected to the gruesome murder of Azuka, were already in custody.

The interrogation of one of the suspects at the scene where Azuka’s body was discovered went viral on Whatsaap. Azuka’s body was on the ground and the suspect promised to pack it.

Now, while still grieving, the sigh of relief heaved over the arrest of the suspects have disappeared.

According to a release Tuesday night by Tochukwu Ikenga, Spokesperson for the Anambra Police Command, two out of the nine arrested suspects, have escaped right before Security Operatives.

According to SP Ikenga, the two escaped when they were taken out to assist the Police to identify and arrest the receiver of vehicles used by the gang in its operations.

While the receiver was arrested, and two  stolen vehicles recovered, the suspected killers of Honourable Azuka, inexplicably, escaped.

Ikenga: “During the onslaught operation, by the Operatives, the suspect (receiver) was arrested, and two vehicles suspected to have been snatched from the unsuspecting members of the public were recovered.

“Unfortunately, the other two suspects fled the scene.”

The Command, he said, would deploy both human operational and intelligence assets to rearrest the fleeing suspects.

However, anger has risen over the escape of the suspects and questions as to how, are tumbling.

The questions include: How could the two suspects escape while in the midst of very well-armed Security Operatives? Were they not handcuffed and leg-chained? Or, were they not handcuffed together, or handcuffed with their hands behind them, and leg-chained too? What were all the Operatives doing when they escaped? How come no Operatives kept an eye on them? How come none of them saw them as they fled?

Not a few people allege an untidy business.

However, Ikenga disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, has assured that disciplinary action will be taken against anybody found culpable in this embarrassing situation.