JUST IN: Police re-arrest one of two killers of Anambra lawmaker

The police in Anambra State, South-east Nigeria, say they have re-arrested one of the two suspected killers of Justice Azuka, a state lawmaker.

The police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, announced this in a statement forwarded to PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday.

Lawmaker’s killing, escape of suspects

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that gunmen, on 24 December 2024, abducted Mr Azuka, a member of the Anambra House of Assembly.

A joint security team, on 6 February, found the lawmaker’s decomposing body at Second Niger Bridge in Onitsha, Anambra State.

The police in the state later confirmed that nine suspected killers of the lawmaker had been arrested.

But on 18 February, the police authorities announced that two of the suspected killers of the lawmaker had escaped from custody.

Two days later, the police admitted that they suffered “operational lapses” which resulted in the escape of the suspects, vowing to sanction officers involved in the incident.

The suspected killers who escaped from custody were identified as Ikemefuna Ossai from Delta State and Chinedu Okoli from Imo State.

The slain lawmaker was a member of the opposition Labour Party.

How the suspect was rearrested

Mr Ikenga, a superintendent of police, identified the re-arrested suspect as Mr Ossai.

The police spokesperson said the suspect was tracked across multiple states within Nigeria and a neighbouring West African country.

He said police operatives eventually arrested him on 7 May in Asaba, the Delta State capital.

“Upon sighting the operatives, the suspect attempted to escape arrest but was swiftly subdued and sustained a gunshot wound to the leg in the process,” he said.

“This rearrest followed a painstaking and intelligence-led operation.”

Mr Ikenga said the police authorities had briefed relevant people about the re-arrest of the suspect, including the family of the late lawmaker and the leadership of the Anambra State House of Assembly.

“During the engagement, the (state) commissioner of police acknowledged and expressed regret over the operational lapses that led to the suspect’s earlier escape,” he said

The spokesperson said “actionable intelligence” obtained from the suspect was already aiding ongoing operations to track down the remaining suspect.

“The (state police) command has intensified efforts to apprehend the remaining fugitive and dismantle the criminal network responsible for this heinous crime,” he said, assuring that all the suspects would be prosecuted.