Abia Governor, Alex Otti, Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu, and other Abians have condemned the beheading of a 70-year-old Labour Party chieftain in Uturu and called for the arrest of the assailants.
The victim, Maduka Zakari, and popularly known as Power Zack, a campaign coordinator for the National Assembly, member representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency, Mamobi Ogah was beheaded at his home in Uturu at about 8 pm on Wednesday by yet to be identified assailants.
While visiting the family of the victim at Umuchioke-Ezieke, Akpukpa, Uturu in Isuikwuato Local Government Area of the State, Gov. Otti vowed that the culprits must be brought to book
Otti who regretted the unfortunate incident, urged the bereaved family to take heart as the loss was not just that of the immediate family but to the party and entire State, and vowed that all involved in the killing of the deceased must be brought to book and directed security agents in the State to fish out the culprits.
Also expressing his sadness, the lawmaker representing Abia North Senatorial District, Orji Uzor Kalu described the killing of Maduka as “callous and unacceptable”, and called on security agencies to fish out the perpetrators, adding, “no Abia North Constituent deserve such inhumane and painful death”.
Kalu further charged the security agencies to leave no stone unturned in finding those behind the killing and bring them to book and vowed to continue to collaborate with Governor Alex Otti and security agencies to ensure the safety of lives and properties of the people of Abia North Senatorial District”.
Also expressing their dissatisfaction, the Coalition of South East Youths for Democracy, CSEYD said it condemns “in a strong terms the heart rending and gruesome decapitation of 70yrs old Zachary Maduka, a Campaign Director of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections in Uturu, Isuikwuato LGA of Abia State”.
In a Press release signed by the chairman, Comrade Fabulous Wisdom, they alleged, “We need no rocket science to convince ourselves that this devilish erasure of Mr Maduka, is directly linked to the ongoing tussle for the Isuikwuato/Umunneochi federal constituency seat in Abia State wherein the man who was freely given a mandate by his constituents was dragged to the Tribunal where a three man panel voided the election of the Labour party candidate on the 6th September 2023, which he has began the process to reverse the Tribunal decision to void a popular mandate was freely given.
“CSEYD is minded to say that the Police high command must have to discharge her core mandate to the Nigerian taxpayers. We do know that given the circumstances behind the killing of the Labour Party Campaign Director in Isuikwuaro, the lives and property of members of this political party are under serious threat, particularly those members who have been at the forefront of compiling evidence and mobilizing witnesses to protect the electoral victory of the Labour party in that federal constituency in particular and the state in general. We encourage all Labour party members and indeed all true democrats to REFUSE to be intimidated by political desperadoes who only glory in cheap, ephemeral lucre.
“We urge all Abians and indeed the people of the SouthEast to rally round security agencies to stamp out permanently the menace of insecurity in our dear region.
“Given the above scenario, while we have implicit confidence in the ability of the Nigerian Police to do the needful and bring the perpetrators of this heinous act to book together with the sponsors of such an audacious killing pattern, we call on the attention of the President of the Court of Appeal, the National Judicial Council and Justices sitting at the Owerri Division of the Court of Appeal, where the appeal of the Labour party candidate is supposed to be heard, to without further delay move/relocate the venue of the sittings of the Owerri Division of the Court of Appeal, to Abuja.
“The call for the relocation of venue for the sittings of the Court of Appeal sitting over the Labour party matter in Isuikwuato/Umunneochi to Abuja is not strange given the fact that the National and State Assembly Elections Petitions Tribunal for Imo State could not hold in Owerri due to insecurity. Therefore, our organisation appeals passionately to the President of the Court of Appeal to be consistent in the decision not to risk the lives of justices in the state given the volatility and unpredictability of security in the said Imo state.
“We demand again that justice be done speedily in this case to deter others who may be planning such a heinous crime in future”.
Similarly, the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, COSEYL in a statement signed by its President General, Comrade Goodluck Ibem, said “The gruesome murder and beheading of Zachary by his yet to be identified criminals is wicked, barbaric, villainous and we condemn it in its entirety.
“It is very disheartening that such a man who worked tirelessly for the betterment of his community will be killed in such a gruesome manner. Too sad. We call on the youths of Ezieke Akpukpa village and Uturu community to mobilize themselves and assist the police and other security agencies in search of those who committed this great wickedness against humanity.
“The Commissioner of Police in Abia State CP Kenechukwu Onwuemelie, should be on top of his game to arrest and prosecute those criminals who committed this wickedness against humanity. This criminals desecrated the land and they must be arrested to face the full weight of the law”.
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