By Kamsi Anayo, Awka
Late Hon. Justice Azuka, the member representing Onitsha North 1 Constituency in the Anambra State House of Assembly, was on Saturday buried amidst tears from family members, state government, Labour Party members and well-wishers.
Azuka, a Labour Party Chieftain, was kidnapped on Dec. 24, 2024, along Ugwunaobankpa Road in Inland Town, Onitsha, while returning home for Christmas and his lifeless body found at the Second Niger Bridge on Feb. 6.
The burial mass at the St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Onitsha, on Saturday, was attended by Gov. Chukwuma Soludo, Speaker Anambra State House of Assembly, Somtochukwu Udeze, his deputy and other members of the Anambra State House of Assembly.
Mr Peter Obi, the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, LP senators and house of representatives members as well as other dignitaries, were also in attendance.
Delivering the sermon during the burial mass, the Vicar-in-charge of Onitsha, Very Rev. Fr. Johnbosco Okafor, said that God is the giver of life and only Him has the right to take it.
Okafor said all the youths and people who are killing innocent people have missed the road and therefore need to repent, just as he urged the state government to do more to protect lives and property of the people.
He said, “Justice Azuka, who died at the prime of his youth, had already carved out an impressive niche for himself and had led an impactful life before his death.”
In his speech, Gov. Soludo, expressed sadness over the death of the lawmaker whom he described as not only a “working partner, but his in-law”.
He called on the family of the deceased and the entire Onitsha community to bear the loss with fortitude, saying that his death is also a personal loss to him, as the governor.
”I am here as the Governor of Anambra State, the killing of Justice Azuka is an abomination, it is still difficult for me to believe it happened. Azuka and I worked together, he supported the state government. We are sad, but we are saying that it will not happen again in this state.
“I want to use this opportunity to clear some misconceptions and rumors that sound like truth being peddled around the state and beyond that the kidnappers of Azuka withdrew N100 million from his account before they killed him.
“That information was wrong, it is not true, immediately we got the information that he was kidnapped, we ensured that we blocked his account.
“We are sad that Azuka died the most painful, but it has happened. The consolation is that, literarily, all the people involved in his death are with us in the custody, they murdered Justice and we will give them Justice, no two ways about it.
“We are so shocked the way the youths of these days are taking human lives. Many people have in the past been kidnapped and ransoms were paid and they were released.
“But youths of these days kidnap and kill their victims even when they have collected ransom. We must condemn what they are doing and it must stop, we will not allow them to continue the wickedness.
“Some people are condemning the security outfit we set up, and even calling me names, but we don’t care about what they are saying, Anambra must be secured to be the most secured state in Nigeria.
“The people who are condemning the ‘Agunechemba’ security are the people who celebrate those working with kidnappers and armed robbers who terrorise us.
“We are not against traditional worship, because there is freedom of religion in our constitution, but If you are preparing charms and doing another fetish things to protect kidnappers and armed robbers, we will never allow you to operate here. The kidnappers have crossed the line and we are after them now.
“I must doff my heart for the Asagba of Asagba, Prof. Epiphany Azinge, who has responded to what we are doing in Anambra State. Immediately he discovered that these criminals we are chasing out of Anambra State are moving into Asaba, he read his own riot act to them that Asaba will not accommodate them, and he has set up machinery in motion to check crime in Asaba, that is what a good traditional ruler should do, I want our Anambra traditional rulers to emulate him,” He said.
The governor, however, promised to ensure that the family of the late lawmaker did not lack anything, saying that the state government would take care of them, although, he did not mention what he will do for them.
Also in attendance were top members of the Labour Party: Senator Victor Umeh representing Anambra Central Senatorial Zone, Senator Tony Nwoye, representing Anambra North Senatorial Zone, Hon. Emeka Idu, representing Onitsha North and South Federal Constituency. Hon. Pascal Agbodike, representing Ihiala Federal Constituency, Chief Chima Nzeibe, who also represented Ihiala Federal Constituency, former Managing Director of National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, and aspirant to the governorship sit under LP, Chief George Moghalu, Chief Valentine Ozigbo, former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate in the state and Chief Oseloka Obaze.
Others are Chief George Moghalu, all governorship aspirants in the state in the next Governorship election, Dr Alex Obiogbolu, Special Adviser on Political Matters to Governor Soludo, and Dr Clement Ojukwu.
