Police spread dragnet on monarchs, others over death of governor’s security aide

 Detectives investigating the killing of Azubuike Ekwegbalu, a security aide to Anambra State governor, Willie Obiano, have been directed to spread their dragnet on the traditional institution in the state that have been embroiled in a major crisis with the governor lately.

Police sources at the force headquarters, Louis Edet House, Abuja, hinted that the security aide, who was discreetly involved in top security surveillance for the state government, might have incurred the anger of his killers after he permeated the circle where they were allegedly hatching strategies to cause crisis in the state.

Sources said there are intelligence that just a day before the aide was killed in his residence at the highbrow Commissioners’ Quarters in Awka, he was spotted hovering around the town where the traditional rulers were allegedly meeting to plan their ill-fated trip to Abuja to meet with the president.

It was learnt that the late Azubuike was secretly compiling reports about the clandestine activities of some political actors and their sponsors for the attention of the governor.

He was yet to submit the report before he was killed by yet-to-be known assailants. Though sources said his principal may not be aware of his efforts to unravel the suspicious dealings, he had long been involved in such discreet missions, especially against suspected cultists, kidnappers and other criminals in and around the state and had contributed immensely to the low crime rate in Anambra.

Sources further disclosed that his killers might have trailed him to his residence after his last investigative trip. They reportedly succeeded in locating his residence only to later sneak into the apartment through an open window in the kitchen from where they attacked him in the bedroom and dragged the body back to the kitchen before escaping.

That, according to sources, accounted for the observation by the police team that visited his residence after receiving a distress call, that the aide’s body revealed wounds while a blood stained kitchen knife was also recovered as exhibits at the scene.

Consequently, a suspect who was allegedly seen in the premises was arrested and sources said he has been giving detectives useful clues. Anambra State police image-maker, Mohammed Haruna, when contacted on phone, confirmed that a suspect has been arrested over the incident and assured that he is helping detectives with useful information to unravel the killers of the aide.

Meanwhile, following this development, sources said police authorities in Abuja would commence internal investigation over the activities of some aides to the IGP in relation to their intimacy with the warring parties in Anambra.

A source close to the state government revealed that the action might be as a result of findings pointing to the fact that petitions from aggrieved persons in the state to the office of the IGP were not always treated because of their personal relationship with some personalities in the state.

It was also gathered that the Inspector General of Police, Adamu Mohammed, gave the investigators matching orders to unravel the mystery surrounding the murder of the state governor’s aide without delay.   (The Guardian)