3 hours ago
6 ARTICLE AD
The Labour Party caucus in the House of Representatives has expressed outrage over the killing of Justice Azuka, a member of the Anambra State House of Assembly, describing it as a devastating loss to the party and the legislature.
Azuka, who represented Onitsha North 1 Constituency, was abducted on December 24, 2024, along Ugwunaobankpa Road in Inland Town, Onitsha, while returning home for Christmas.
However, 44 days later, his lifeless body was discovered by security operatives by the roadside at the Second Niger Bridge in the early hours of Thursday, February 6, 2025.
The slain lawmaker, a chieftain of the Labour Party, had reclaimed his mandate through a court ruling that ousted Douglas Egbuna of the Peoples Democratic Party, who was initially declared the winner of the 2023 election.
Reacting to the murder, LP House of Representatives Caucus leader and lawmaker representing Ogbaru Federal Constituency, Afam Ogene, in a statement on Thursday, described the incident as “horrendous, heart-wrenching, and a major blow to the Labour Party and the legislature.”
Ogene recalled that he had earlier in January urged Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, to take decisive action to secure Azuka’s release and tackle the rising wave of insecurity in the state, which he said had become a hotbed for kidnappings and killings.
The lawmakers extended their condolences to Azuka’s widow and children, lamenting the pain and sorrow his death had brought upon his family.
“How do you explain this act of wickedness? How do you comfort Hon. Azuka’s young wife that her husband will never return home? What do you tell the children when they grow up?” the statement read.
The caucus decried the escalating insecurity in Anambra, warning that criminals were turning the state into a killing field.
It added, “The level of carnage in Anambra on a daily basis is heart-rending. People live in fear due to the growing insecurity. The bloodshed, kidnappings, and violent crimes are fast spiraling out of control. The crime reports we hear are only a fraction of the horrific reality on the ground.”
