Police Make Progress In Battle Against Cultists In Anambra State As Suspected Killers Of Governor’s Aide Are Nabbed

Three months after Azubuike Ekwegbalu, 43, Senior Special Assistant to Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra State South-East Nigeria on security, was murdered by suspected cultists, the Police in Anambra State has arrested two suspects.

Ekwegbalu was killed at his residence in the official quarters for senior government officials in Awka, Anambra state.

Haruna Mohammed, a Superintendent of Police and the Command’s Public Relations officer said the two suspects were Osita John, (21) from Ayamelum Local Government Area who lived in Agu- Awka and Achewa Musa (27) from Guma Local Government Area in Benue State and resident at Amansea Garki within the state capital territory.

Both suspects were arraigned in court on November 10 and were subsequently remanded in a Correctional Centre.

The Police spokesman said that items recovered from the suspects included two android phones belonging to the deceased and one kitchen knife believed to be the crime weapon.

Mohammed said, “it would be recalled that on August 9, at about 1:30 am, there was a report of alleged murder of one Azuibuike Ekwegbalu, male, aged 43 years, native of Ogbunike in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State inside his resident at the Commissioners quarters, Awka.

“Following the incident, Police detectives swung into action and after intensive investigation arrested two principal suspects.

“The suspects who were arrested after painstaking monitoring, voluntarily confessed to having scaled (the periphery fence) into the deceased’s house, stabbed him on his lower abdomen before carting away two of his handsets.

“Following establishment of prima facie case against the suspects, they were today, Tuesday November 10 charged to court and subsequently remanded,” he said in a statement.

He, however, did not say if the suspect arrested on the day of the incident was among those arraigned on Tuesday.