David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka
The Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Charles Soludo, has described those condemning the Agunechemba security outfit as supporters and accomplices of kidnappers, armed robbers and other criminals in the state.
Soludo said this yesterday at the funeral mass for the late Justice Azuka, the slain Labour Party (LP) member, who represented Onitsha 1 Constituency in the Anambra State House of Assembly.
Present at the ceremony were the party’s presidential candidate in the last election; Mr Peter Obi; Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central), Senator Tony Nwoye (Anambra North), and Hon. Emeka Idu (Onitsha North and South Federal Constituency), among others.
During his remarks, Governor Soludo promised to ensure that the family of the late lawmaker did not lack anything.
He said: “They murdered Justice and we will give them justice. No two ways about it.
“We are so shocked by the way the youths of these days are taking human lives.
“Many people have in the past been kidnapped and ransoms were paid and they were released. But youths of these days kidnap and kill their victims even when they have collected ransom.
“We must condemn what they are doing and it must stop. We will not allow them to continue the wickedness.
“Some people are condemning the security outfit we set up, and even calling me names. But we don’t care about what they are saying.
“Anambra must be secured to be the most secured state in Nigeria. The people condemning the Agunechemba security are the people who celebrate those working with kidnappers and armed robbers who terrorise us.
“We are not against traditional worship because there is freedom of religion in our constitution. But if you are preparing charms and doing other fetish things to protect kidnappers and armed robbers, we will never allow you to operate here.
“The kidnappers have crossed the line and we are after them now.
“I must doff my heart for the Asagba of Asagba, Prof. Epiphany Azinge who has responded to what we are doing in Anambra State.
“Immediately he discovered that these criminals we are chasing out from Anambra are moving into Asaba, he read his own riot act to them that Asaba will not accommodate them. And he has set machinery in motion to check crime in Asaba.
“That is what a good traditional ruler should do. I want our Anambra traditional rulers to emulate him.”
