Some personnel of the Anambra State Police Command are under investigation following the disappearance of two suspects held in connection with the killing of the member representing Onitsha 1 Constituency in the Anambra State House of Assembly, Justice Azuka.
Azuka was kidnapped on December 24, 2024, and his lifeless body was found on the Second Niger Bridge, on February 6, 2025.
Thereafter, the police command subsequently arrested about nine suspects in connection with the murder.
But in a shocking turn of events, two suspects arrested in connection with the murder of the lawmaker were said to have escaped from the hands of the police a few days after their arrest.
The spokesman for the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, officially announced their escape in a press statement on Tuesday.
Ikenga said the suspects disappeared somewhere in the Obosi community in Idemili North LGA when they led police operatives from Awkuzu command in an operation to arrest the receiver of the stolen vehicles used by the gang in their deadly activities.
He said, “Although the receiver of the vehicles was arrested, and two vehicles were recovered, the two suspects fled the scene. The Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, has already ordered a manhunt on the fleeing suspects.”
Speaking further with our correspondent over the telephone, on Wednesday, Ikenga, who disclosed that the suspects escaped on February 8, confirmed that all operatives involved in the operation during which the incident happened were currently at the State Police Command Headquarters undergoing debriefing.
He said although the suspects were handcuffed at the time of their escape, the area where they fled was swampy, which may have aided their movement, adding that the command is thoroughly investigating the details of how they escaped to avoid a recurrence.
He said, “Disciplinary actions are already being taken to address any negligence involved. The CP has assured that anyone found culpable will not go unpunished. As that goes on, a part of our main priority now remains to re-arrest the fleeing suspects and ensure that they face justice.
“The suspects have not yet been declared wanted because the police are following due process. Declaring someone wanted is a process. We must exhaust all investigative options first.
“However, we are also working towards obtaining a court order to formally declare them wanted.”
While describing the incident as “very unfortunate”, Ikenga, however, reiterated that the state police command had nothing to hide, emphasising that security remains a collective responsibility.
He, however, explained that the command had nine suspects in custody in connection with the murder of the lawmaker and other heinous crimes.
He said, “The command arrested nine suspects in connection with the murder but during interrogation, two of these suspects, who played key roles in the crime, provided information about their sponsor, as well as their meeting point and location where they used to keep their operational vehicles.
“In a follow-up investigation, operatives took the two suspects to the location they identified as their meeting point with their sponsor and receiver of stolen items in Obosi, Idemili North Local Government Area. The goal was to arrest this notorious individual and dismantle their network. Unfortunately, during the operation, the two suspects escaped.
“Despite the escape, the police successfully arrested the criminal gang’s sponsor and receiver as was identified by the suspects. In addition to the arrest of the sponsor, two operational vehicles used in the abduction and murder of the lawmaker —a black Lexus 350 SUV and a black Toyota RAV4— were also recovered during the operation that night.”
He added that the arrested individual, whose full identity will be made public in due time, was the main financier of the group, providing them with operational tools and logistics.
Meanwhile, the Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Somtochukwu Udeze, has demanded the immediate re-arrest of the criminals at all costs.
Udeze, in a statement he released on Wednesday, following the announcement of their escape, expressed his disappointment at the development, urging the police to take all necessary measures to ensure that the escaped suspects were re-arrested and brought to justice.
The statement 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 the 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.”
