Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
Reactions have continued to trail the reported escape of two suspects linked to the murder of late Hon. Justice Azuka, a lawmaker representing Onitsha 1 State Constituency at the Anambra State House of Assembly.
Spokesperson of the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, broke the news on Wednesday, stating that the suspects escaped during an operation to apprehend the receiver and recover the operational vehicles used in their criminal activities.
The reported escape has generated reactions from government and concerned citizens, including the Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly who has demanded the immediate re-arrest of the criminals at all cost.
The Speaker, Hon. Somtochukwu Udeze, in a statement he released following the announcement, expressed his disappoinment at the development, urging Police to take all necessary measures to ensure that the escaped suspects are re-arrested and brought to justice.
The statement from the speaker read: “The attention of the Anambra State House of Assembly has been drawn to a press release by the State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, announcing that two of the arrested suspects in the murder of late Hon. Justice Azuka of Onitsha 1 State Constituency escaped during an operation to apprehend the receiver and recover the operational vehicles used in their criminal activities.
“The State House of Assembly deeply regrets this unfortunate development, which casts a shadow over the otherwise commendable and professional manner in which the Police have been handling the investigation. The position of the State Legislature is clear: the fleeing suspects must be tracked and apprehended at all costs.
“I, therefore, call on the State Commissioner of Police to redouble his efforts and take all necessary measures to ensure that the escaped suspects are re-arrested and brought to justice. The State Police should immediately declare them wanted and publish their full names, addresses, and photographs to enlist public support in tracking them down.”
Elsewhere, Ginika Odua, President of Onitsha Ado Youth Forum (OAYF), the constituent of the deceased lawmaker, said the escape of the two dreaded kidnappers called for the total overhaul of the entire Anambra State Police Command, especially the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in Awkuzu, Oyi Local Government Area of the State.
He asked the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, to sanction those who “are responsible and liable for the escape.”
Odua demanded for the immediate rearrest of the fleeing kidnappers, failure of which the group threatened to stage a five million-man protest match which would shake the very foundation of the state.
“This singular action portends grave danger to the security of the State in view of Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s vision to fight crime and criminality with vigour, ” he said.
Contributing, Mike Idika Ononenyi, a resident of Onitsha, said there is need for an urgent surgical operation of RRS officers in Awkuzu Anambra State because of serious endemic corruption going on at the facility.
He challenged the Anambra State Police Command not to play ostrich in this sensitive matter but should come out and tell the people of the State what actually happened.
Ononenyi said all those officers involved should be made to face disciplinary action because they are not aiding criminals but putting the lives of security men involved in the tracking down these criminals in serious danger.
He lamented that the current efforts by the Governor to reduce crime and criminality in the state were being sabotaged by some disgruntled officers in RRS Awkuzu due their inordinate quest to make money at all cost.
Meanwhile, Ikengaonline had reported that Anambra State Police Commissioner, CP Ikioye Orutugu, had consequently activated and deployed both human, operational and intelligence assets of the Command for the re-arrest of the suspects.
The CP has also directed immediate disciplinary action against the police officers found wanting with respect to the escape of the suspects, for their negligence.
