Police confirm escape of 2 suspects involved in kidnap of late Anambra lawmaker

Anambra state police command, Tuesday, confirmed escape of two suspects arrested in connection with abduction and murder of the lawmaker representing Onitsha North 1 in Anambra State House of Assembly, late Hon. Justice Azuka.

Azuka, who was kidnapped on December 24, 2024 while returning to Onitsha for Christmas festivities, was buried last week Saturday after the Anambra state joint security network, dubbed ‘operation Udo Ga-Chi’ recovered her decomposing corpse at a bush near 2nd Niger Bridge.

However, reports emerged last week that two of the suspects arrested and paraded by the state police command over the issue, Mr Kevin Ikechukwu Ossai, alias Ikem, and another simply identified as Ocha, reportedly escaped during a police operation to apprehend a suspected receiver of stolen vehicles linked to their gang.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr Tochukwu Ikenga, who had confirmed their escape in a statement, noted that the Police Commissioner, Dr Ikioye Orutugu, has redeployed both human, operational and intelligence materials to ensure they were rearrested.

“He has consequently deployed both human, operational and intelligence assets of the Command for the re-arrest of the suspects and directed immediate disciplinary action against the Officers found wanton in this regard.

“During the onslaught operation by the Operatives, the suspect (the 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,” he added.