From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
Tears flowed endlessly in Onitsha on Saturday as the remains of the murdered member of the Anambra State House of Assembly representing Onitsha North 1 Constituency, Justice Azuka, were laid to rest in his country home, Ogbeoza village, Onitsha.
Azuka was kidnapped on 24th December 2024, and his abductors never released him alive. They were eventually apprehended and led 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 regretted that many youths no longer recognise the sanctity of life and called for repentance among those who shed human blood. He emphasised 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 realise this, wasting human lives as if they were pouring water away,” he said.
The priest further noted 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 stated.
The burial ceremony was attended by lawmakers at both state and national levels, Labour Party stalwarts, including National Leader Mr. Peter Obi and National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko.