43 YEAR OLD MAN MURDERED IN AWKA, ANAMBRA STATE
Reporter: UCHE NDEKE –
A forty three year old man had been allegedly murdered in Awka the Anambra State capital. According to an eye witness, the deceased , Azubuike Ekwegbalu hails from Ogbunike in Oyi Local Government Area but resides at Commissioners quarters in Awka.
Police detectives who visited the scene rushed the victim who was found in a pool of his blood to Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Awka where he was certified dead on arrival by a medical doctor.
Confirming the incident in a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer in the State, Mr Haruna Muhammed notes that a careful observation on the deceased body revealed stab wounds while a blood stained kitchen knife was also recovered as exhibit at the scene.
Mr Muhammed says consequently, one suspect who allegedly was in the premises has been arrested and the case under investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident. The corpse was deposited at the mortuary for autopsy.
Meanwhile, the Anambra State Government has described the death of Mr Ekwegbalu as a great loss to the State. Speaking with Radio Nigeria in a telephone interview, the State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment , Mr C- Don Adinuba said the deceased was until his untimely death a Senior Special Assistant to Governor Willie Obiano on Security and a thorough, quite , unassuming dedicated security personnel . Mr Adinuba said late Ekwegbalu was a professional intelligence aid who was monitoring cult activities in various parts of the State following the increase in the menace of young cult members in the area recently.
“He had in the last few months devoted his infectious energy and acute professional intelligence to monitoring cults in various parts of the State following an increase in the menace of young cult members in educational institutions and elsewhere. The results have been outstanding. Mr Ekwegbalu’s tragic death is a serious setback to the fight against the cult menace and crime generally in the State”
The Commissioner while noting that Governor Willie Obiano had contacted and commiserated with the family members gave an assurance that the Anambra State Government would stop at nothing to make sure that the culprits were fished out.
“The Anambra State Government working with the security agencies will do everything in its power to apprehend those responsible for Mr Ekwegbalu’s death, as we have successfully done over the years in similar deaths. The Government assures all Anambra people, once again, that it will stop at nothing to make the State remain the safest and most peaceful State in Nigeria.”
He however called on the residents to remain calm as Government would continue to make the State the safest and most peaceful in Nigeria.