Onitsha Community Petitions IGP, Soludo Over Slain Lawmaker, Demands Justice

By Our Reporter

Onitsha indigenous community has demanded transparency, accountability and swift justice over the tragic murder of Justice Azuka, who represented Onitsha North Constituency 1 at the Anambra State House of Assembly.

Azuka was kidnapped on 24 December 2024. His decaying body was found on 6 February 2025 on the second Niger Bridge.

A statement issued on Thursday by Chief Osita Anionwu, Ike Akatakwuani of Onitsha, Chief of Staff, Ime Obi Onitsha, said: “The community has raised several critical questions about the investigation and the actions of the authorities, including the timeline of Hon. Azuka’s death, the routine freezing of bank accounts of kidnap victims, and the circumstances surrounding the escape of the suspects.

“In light of the unsatisfactory handling of this high-profile case, the Onitsha community is calling on the Inspector General of Police, Dr. Kayode Egbetokun, to take over the investigation from the State Command.”

The statement said Onitsha indigenous community made these demands at an open town hall meeting held on Thursday to address the recent developments surrounding the tragic murder of Azuka.

The meeting, presided over by Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha, was attended by several hundred indigenes and followed electronically by many in the diaspora.

The people urged the Government of Anambra State to restore confidence in its security strategy and ensure that justice is served speedily. Additionally, the community said it was reviewing its security system for greater effectiveness in collaboration with the security agencies and the State Government.

The community expressed deep disappointment over the handling of the case, particularly the conflicting statements from the State Government and the Police regarding the withdrawal of N100 million from Azuka’s bank account and the escape of two suspects from police custody.

Anionwu emphasised the community’s commitment to seeking justice and improving security for all citizens.

The open letter to the IGP and Governor Chukwuma Soludo made available to TheNiche read: “The meeting recalled that Hon. Azuka was kidnapped on 24 December, 2024 in Onitsha. Notwithstanding the assurances by the law enforcement agencies and the State Government during some forty-four harrowing days that they were “on top of the situation”, our hopes came to nothing when Hon. Azuka’s decaying body was found on Thursday, 06 February, 2025.

“The meeting also noted that the State Commissioner for Information, Dr. Law Mefor, issued a statement on the same day, 06 February, commending “the swift and decisive action of the security agents”. He added that “their efforts are a testament to Government’s commitment to ensuring the security of all citizens” He also affirmed Government’s commitment to ensuring that justice is served speedily.

“The meeting further noted that Mr. Tochukwu Ikenga, the Public Relations Officer of the Anambra State Police command, briefed the media on the following day, 07 February, and was reported in graphic details. He was reported to have asserted that that the kidnappers withdrew N100 million from the lawmaker’s bank account before murdering him on 26 December, 2024. He was said to have assured that all six suspects, in addition to the nurse, who facilitated the withdrawal of the money, and the native doctor, who prepared the charms for the kidnappers, had been arrested. He was also said to have stated that Neghe Obono Itam, Commissioner of Police, commended the police officers and promised the citizens that the police will continually rid the state of criminals.

“The kidnap of any citizen is a matter of grave public concern, full of expectations that the perpetrators would be apprehended and their victims) rescued expeditiously. Onitsha people placed their trust on the law enforcement agencies and the State Government to rescue our son. Despite the anguish of his gruesome death, the forgoing statements by the State Government and the Police were reassuring that justice will be done to the soul of the departed. Unfortunately, however, the meeting noted that the story began to change.

“At the funeral service for Hon. Azuka on 15 February, Mr. Governor categorically declared that no money had been withdrawn from Hon. Azuka’s bank account because the Government had blocked the account immediately his abduction became known. Mr. Governor thus contradicted the Police, which has not altered its stance. Then, on 19 February, news broke out that two of the suspects had escaped from Police custody on 08 February during an operation in Obosi.

“The above developments raised a few basic questions in the minds of the Onitsha community, as follows: If Hon. Azuka was murdered on 26 December 2024, his remains would been far more decomposed than it was found on 06 February 2025.

“Is it routine for the State Government to freeze the bank accounts of kidnap victims, or was this a peculiar case? Why did the Police command withhold the information about the escape of the suspects for eleven days before disclosing it on 19 February Murder suspects would normally be handcuffed during an outside operation.

“It would have thus been impossible for them to elude their Police guards in handcuff. What went wrong? Did Hon. Azuka have to die before the “swift and decisive actions” of the police officers that earned glowing accolades from the State Government and the Commissioner of Police? They had forty-four days to save his life!

“These and the questions in our press statement of 10 February 2025 are agitating the minds of Ndi Onicha and Nigerian as to the efficacy of the Anambra State security strategy, which the Police is probably the most vital part of.

“Onitsha community respectfully demands answers and actions from the authorities to address the growing safety and security concerns in Anambra State. We are concerned about the investigation and justice system, and demand to know if the authorities will establish the truth without fear or favour, and with transparency and accountability. It is most hurtful that the police are now appealing to the public to trust them again as they work to re-arrest the escaped criminals. But, trust cannot be regained until the Police unravels all the details of the murder of Hon Justice Azuka and bring all involved to book according to the law, and until concrete steps are taken to prevent such incidents in the future.

“Given the unsatisfactory manner in which this high-profile case has so far been handled, the Onitsha community resolved to respectfully call on the Inspector General of Police, Dr. Kayode Egbetokun, to take over the case from the State Command. We also resolved to call on the Government of Anambra State to restore confidence in its new security strategy by making good the affirmation of the Information Commissioner of the Government’s commitment to ensuring that justice is served speedily. We further called on the State House of Assembly to ensure that justice is served in this case and always; we all feel endangered!

“Finally, we resolved to review our community security system for greater effectiveness, working under the frameworks of the security agencies and the State Government.”