Catholic priest Fr. Chibuzo Emmanuel Obimma, widely known as Fr. Ebube Muonso, has strongly condemned the murder of Hon. Justice Azuka, a member of the Anambra State House of Assembly representing Onitsha 1 Constituency under the Labour Party (LP)....Read Full Article >>➤
The cleric alleged that Azuka was assassinated for political reasons, primarily because he did not belong to the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). He further accused the Anambra State Police Command and Governor Chukwuma Soludo’ s administration of shielding those responsible for the lawmaker’ s death.
In his statement, Fr. Ebube Muonso claimed that the police were bribed by influential figures involved in Azuka’ s abduction and murder. As a result, he alleged that law enforcement officers deliberately facilitated the escape of two suspects who had been arrested in connection with the killing. The priest expressed outrage over this development, questioning how two detained individuals managed to escape from police custody without any consequences.
Calling upon the people of Onitsha to seek justice for their slain representative, Fr. Ebube Muonso warned that failing to act would mean that Azuka’ s spirit would not rest. In a video seen by SaharaReporters on Thursday, he emphasized the political nature of the assassination and accused those in power of covering up the crime.
” He (Azuka) was not from APGA; he belonged to the Labour Party. The suspects were apprehended and handed over to the Anambra State Police. How is it that both of them escaped from custody? Imagine that— just two people. Who is fooling who? The people of Anambra State must not remain silent, ” he declared.
The cleric went on to state that the suspects’ escape suggested a deliberate attempt to suppress the truth, as those responsible for Azuka’ s murder had allegedly paid bribes to prevent the case from being fully investigated. ” It was a political assassination, and those involved have used money to silence potential witnesses because they don’ t want the suspects to expose them. Who is deceiving who in this matter? ” he questioned.
Fr. Ebube Muonso further criticized the state government, implying that those with political connections in Anambra are often above the law. ” Two key suspects escaped, yet we still have a functioning government in place. This is an example of man’ s inhumanity to man. Once you are connected to those in power, you enjoy immunity indefinitely. But let everyone, including Governor Charles Soludo, remember that there is a God who sees everything, ” he cautioned.
Continuing his condemnation, the priest called on Onitsha residents to take action. ” Where is the outrage? A lawmaker from Onitsha was killed, and the people of Onitsha remain silent? I have warned before that you are on your own. There is an ominous and demonic force looming over Anambra State. When you have the right political connections, you can get away with anything, ” he lamented.
He further alleged that prominent figures, including some traditional rulers and community leaders, were linked to criminal activities in the state but had not been arrested due to their influence. ” Even those kidnappers were linked to high- profile individuals. Some President Generals (PGs) and traditional rulers (Igwes) were mentioned. Where are they today? None of them have been arrested because they have used bribes to escape justice. Soludo is not in control of this state, ” he asserted.
The cleric claimed that the police had intentionally allowed the suspects to flee in an effort to conceal the true culprits behind the assassination. ” They wanted to cover for someone. That’ s why they quietly let those people escape— to erase any evidence that could expose those responsible. Onitsha people, you must rise. Demand answers from the Anambra State government about who killed your brother. If not, the spirit of Azuka will not rest, ” he warned.
Fr. Ebube Muonso also lamented the repeated cases of politically motivated killings in Anambra State, emphasizing that many similar cases had been covered up in the past. ” So many people have been killed in Anambra State, and their cases have been buried just like that. But their spirits will not rest; they will continue to fight for justice, ” he declared.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, SaharaReporters reported that the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, released a statement regarding the escape of two suspects linked to Azuka’ s murder.
According to Ikenga, preliminary investigations indicated that the suspects had been assisting officers in an operation aimed at apprehending the receiver of stolen goods and retrieving the vehicles used by the criminal gang. However, the police report was issued eight days after the suspects had already escaped, raising suspicions about the handling of the case.
Furthermore, the police command has refused to disclose the identities of the escaped suspects or provide details about the circumstances of their disappearance. This has led to widespread skepticism about whether their escape was truly accidental or a premeditated act to protect influential individuals involved in the crime.
Adding to the controversy, the Labour Party caucus in the Anambra State House of Assembly has accused the police of deliberately orchestrating the suspects’ escape. The Labour Party lawmakers argue that the authorities have made no real efforts to rearrest the fugitives, despite more than a week passing since their escape. They believe that this lack of action further proves that Azuka’ s murder was politically motivated and that the suspects were freed to prevent them from exposing the masterminds behind the crime.
The lawmakers also pointed out that the circumstances surrounding the suspects’ escape from the custody of the Police Rapid Response Squad (RRS), along with the police’ s apparent indifference, reinforce suspicions of a cover- up. They insist that the police must be held accountable and that justice must be served for the slain lawmaker.
With growing public outrage and accusations of corruption within the police force, there is increasing pressure on Governor Soludo’ s administration to address the case transparently. However, given the allegations of high- level involvement, many remain skeptical that justice will be served. ...Read Full Article >>➤
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