ANAMBRA, ONITSHA – Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The remains of the slain member of the Anambra State House of Assembly representing Onitsha North 1 Constituency, Hon. Justice Azuka, were buried in his home town, Ogbeoza village, Onitsha.
Recall that Azuka was kidnapped on 24th December 2024, and his kidnappers never released him alive even after collecting the sum of N100 million as ransom.
They were eventually arrested and led by security agencies to recover his decomposing body in a swamp near the Second Niger Bridge.
During a burial mass at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Inland Town, Onitsha, presided over by the Onitsha Archdiocesan Chancellor, Rev. Fr. Prudentus Aroh, who represented Archbishop Valerian Okeke, the homilist, Episcopal Vicar in charge of Onitsha Region, Rev. Fr. John Bosco Okafor, lamented the erosion of the sacredness of life in society.
Fr. John Bosco lamented that many youths no longer recognize the sanctity of life and called for repentance among those who shed human blood. He emphasized that hard work pays, warning against the get-rich-quick mentality that is destroying society.
“God created man in His own image and likeness, and therefore, we must respect the life He has given. Only God has the power to take life, not any human. Life is sacred, and we must be careful how we treat others. Unfortunately, many of our youths fail to realize this, wasting human lives as if they were pouring water away,” he said.
The priest further said that while security is a shared responsibility, the government must intensify efforts to protect lives and property.
Governor Chukwuma Soludo, in his remarks, condoled with the immediate family of the late lawmaker, describing his death as a great loss to the state.
He recalled having a cordial working relationship with Azuka and disclosed that there were plans for strategic partnerships with him before his tragic kidnapping and death.
Governor Soludo assured that Azuka’s killers had been apprehended and that justice would be served.
”This was a promising young man whose dreams have been cut short. Anambra State grieves with you, but we shall take steps to ensure that this grief is ameliorated. We will do the needful.
“What is happening today is what the Igbo say: when abominable acts persist for a year, they become a tradition. We all share in this complicity. When people applauded those who killed security agents and snatched their rifles, this was the result.
“But light and darkness have nothing in common. We are determined to flush out criminal elements in our midst, including the evil native doctors who promote ritual killings and money-making scams. Surely, Anambra will return as the safest state in Nigeria. We must rise up, see something, and say something. With combined efforts and partnership, a new Anambra is possible,” Soludo said.