Slain Lawmaker: Former Anambra CP Must Answer Questions About Escapee Suspects, Activist Insists

AWKA – Anambra state based human rights activist, Comrade Osita Obi, has described as terrible the trending story of an escape from police custody of two of the alleged kidnappers who abducted and murdered, Honourable Justice Azuka, the member representing Onitsha North one state constituency in the Anambra state House of Assembly.

Azuka was kidnapped at about 9pm on December 24, 2025 at his native Onitsha where he had gone to celebrate the Christmas.

His decomposing body was however found along the second Niger bridge area in Onitsha on February 6, 44 days after his abduction amidst an outpour of outrage by Anambra people.

His remains had been interred in Onitsha on Saturday, February 15.

But in a press conference in Awka on Friday, the human rights activist said the escape of the two principal suspects from police custody smacks of corruption and incompetence and called on the Inspector General of Police,the Police Service Commission to summon the former Police Commissioner in the state,Obono Nnaghe Itam to come and account for his stewardship in the circumstance.

Itam he said did a great disservice to the Anambra state police command and was evidently unable to wear the big shoe left behind by his predecessor, Aderemi Adeoye.

Adeoye he said did so well fighting crime and criminality to a stand still while interrogating otherwise known untouchables of doubtful means of affluence before he came.

The situation the rights activist said changed with the coming of Itam and the Anambra state police command became a cesspool of corruption.

“Former Cp Itam had done a great disservice to Anambra state police command.The command was extremely corrupt under his watch.

“He must pay for his actions. From my investigation, i found that the escape of the two arrested kidnappers was done under his supervision and for this reason it was not included in his handover brief to his successor.

“I understand that they went to arrest the sponsors of this calamity in company of the escapees. If that is the case,why didn’t they handcuff them?. Why were they driving the police officers and the officers watched as they escaped.

“Former CP Itam should be sacked and probed. He should not be rewarded for his incompetence.He must account for his actions.

“We are asking for total overhaul of the police command in Anambra state. Some offices have stayed there for more than 30 years. Overhauling the command is the only way we can achieve results. The police know the criminals in our midst. The government knows them. The people in the communities know them. So if that is the case, why are we failing?” he asked.

But he didn’t spare some government functionaire from this malaise as according to him they work in cohort with the agents of corruption and shield them from possible prosecution.

“If the government had done what it ought to have done, the situation wouldn’t have degenerated to this level”,he said.

Buttressing his allegation, Comrade Obi said that on April 27,2022,he fell victim to some cult boys masquerading as revenue agents in Awka at about 9am along Dr. Alex Ekwueme square in Awka.

These youngsters he said attacked him and were arrested by the police who after their investigation charged them for attempted murder.

But along the line, some government officials intervene asking the police their interest in the matter and suddenly the charge changed to assault, leaving him dissilussioned.

The comrade said he later came to realize that some of these government officials from the state’s internal revenue services actually created revenue windows where these hoodlums were deployed to source money for them and only pay in about 20 percent of what they collected into government coffers.

He therefore enjoined the governor to rejig the internal revenue collection department and indeed his entire cabinet for optimal performance.

He pledged to give the names of those he found indulging in this practice when he is opportune to meet him one on one.

He called on the government to be alert to plans by fifth columnists to detail his new security outfit Udo ga achi because they are doing marvelously well at the moment.

He also called on the state government and the people of the state to support the new police commissioner in the state to his state to succeed.