Henzodaily.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering Nigeria’s security.
Onitsha, Anambra state – Tales of heartlessness and woes have continued to persist in the south-east geo-political zone as a result of the unending spate of mindless killings in the region.
While active politicians constitute the fatality figures, other prominent citizens who are not serving in government have been victims too. In May 2021, Ahmed Gulak, a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, was killed in cold blood in Imo state. The assailants repeated the same horrific template in Anambra four months later when they attacked and murdered Chike Akunyili, the husband of the late boss of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dora Akunyili.
Politicians of southeast extraction like Okechukwu Okoye and Justice Azuka have been victims of the region’s insecurity.
Photo credits: @AbureJulius, @ShittuKole
Source: Twitter
News surfaced on Thursday, February 6, 2025, that Justice Azuka, the lawmaker representing Onitsha North state constituency in the Anambra house of assembly, who was kidnapped in late 2024, was discovered dead.
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Azuka was found dead on the popular 2nd Niger bridge in the state.
The Labour Party (LP) chieftain was kidnapped on Christmas Eve in 2024 at about 9 pm at Ugwunakpamkpa, Inland town, Onitsha, while he was returning home for the Christmas celebration. Subsequently, he was declared missing. However, the vehicle in which he was kidnapped was reportedly later recovered around Upper Iweka area of Onitsha.
No week passes by without stories of people being kidnapped in different parts of the five states that make up the southeast zone. Stories abound of innocent travellers who were caught in the web of dare-devil kidnappers and taken into bushes where they were kept. At the same time, the abductors demanded ransom from their families.
In Nigeria’s southern region in 2022, the south-east zone recorded the highest number of reported death tolls as 449 people were killed in the zone. Activities of those who are dubbed as “unknown gunmen” increased in the south-east as they unleashed terror on monarchs, politicians, police officers, police stations, facilities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other public facilities.
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In September 2022, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah (now late) was on his way to Nnewi when he was attacked by gunmen in Enugwu-Ukwu in Anambra state – his convoy was shot at; at least five persons, including two policemen, were killed. Ubah survived as the vehicle he was riding in was bulletproof.
In the same vein, gunmen, in December 2023, attacked a convoy suspected to belong to Anambra state-born former political godfather, Chris Uba. Reports said the vehicles in the convoy were riddled with bullets, just as two police operatives attached to the politician were killed. It was also gathered that another politician and an LP chieftain, Valentine Ozigbo, narrowly escaped the attack.
In most cases, no group claim responsibility for these deadly attacks. However, the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wings have been accused of masterminding kidnappings and killings in the southeast over the past few years – an accusation the group has repeatedly denied.
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In this report, Henzodaily.ng looks at southeast politicians who were not as lucky as Ubah and Uba.
Politicians kidnapped and killed by southeast criminals
1) Okechukwu Okoye
Okoye was a member of the Anambra state house of assembly representing Aguata II constituency.
Okoye was seized and killed during the May 2022 Anambra state killings. His severed head was found at Chisco Park in Amichi community in Anambra, a few days after he was kidnapped.
2) Nelson Achukwu
Like Okoye, Achukwu was found with his head decapitated — days after his abduction.
Achukwu, a former member of the Anambra state house of assembly, was killed in June 2022.
Earlier, the physically-challenged politician who represented Nnewi south II constituency in the state assembly between 2003 and 2007, was kidnapped from Mkpor community in Anambra. He was reportedly released after some days.
On June 9, 2022, the former lawmaker was abducted from his residence by gunmen, and later, his body was found in the boundary area around Utu and Ukpor.
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His family members were said to have paid a ransom of N15 million. Still, the criminals executed him.
3) Justice Azuka
Justice Azuka, a lawmaker in Anambra, who was earlier abducted, was found dead in the state.
Henzodaily.ng earlier reported that Azuka was abducted on December 24, 2024, along Ugwunapampa Road in Onitsha North local government area (LGA) of Anambra state.
The lawmaker was returning home for Christmas celebrations when the hoodlums attacked him.
Security sources in Anambra confirmed that the ‘decomposing body’ of the lawmaker was found at Second Niger Bridge on Thursday, February 6, 2025.
Soludo speaks on southeast insecurity
Earlier, Henzodaily.ng reported that Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra state expressed doubts that the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of IPOB, would end the ongoing insecurity in the southeast, citing a growing link between criminals and the Biafran movement.
According to Soludo, criminal elements had hijacked the Biafran struggle and were exploiting Kanu’s name for their own selfish gains, which has further fuelled violence, kidnappings, and other criminal activities in the region.
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Source: Henzodaily.ng