Murdered Party Chieftain: Otti Tasks Security Agencies on Hunting Down Suspected Cultists

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

Following the gruesome murder and beheading of a chieftain of the Labour Party in Isuikwuato Local Government, Governor Alex Otti has directed security agencies to go after the cultists suspected to have carried out the heinous act.

Zachery Maduka, 70, was last Thursday, hacked down by suspected cultists at Umuchioke-Ezieke, Akpukpa, Uturu, in Isuikwuato Local Government, Abia of State.

He was the campaign director of Hon. Amobi Ogah, the LP candidate that won the Isuikwuato/Umunneochi federal constituency in the 2023 general election.

Otti, issued the order for justice to be served on the murderers when he visited the family of the slain party chieftain at the weekend, saying they must be fished out by all means.

The Abia LP had already stated that the assassination of Maduka, popularly known as “Power Zach”, was not politically motivated and absolved rival political parties of any involvement.

Otti, while consoling the family of the deceased, regretted the unfortunate incident and urged them to bear the loss with fortitude.

He described the deceased as a committed party man hence his demise was not a loss to only the immediate family but to the party and the entire state.

Otti, assured the Maduka family that everyone involved in the killing of their patriarch would be brought to book and made to pay for their crimes.

The Abia chief executive, who was touched by the sudden grief brought upon the family of the late party chieftain, acknowledged that it won’t be easy to endure such a tragic loss.

However, he prayed God to console the immediate family, the Labour Party family and the people of Abia the State.

The governor was accompanied on the condolence visit by the First Deputy Chairman of Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Nelson Nmerengwa; Commissioner for Information and Culture, Okey Kanu and the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ikechukwu Uwanna, among other top government officials.

The suspected cultists were said to have stormed the murder scene on the fateful day, shooting sporadically.

Eye witnesses said the victim was running for his life along with others who scampered in different directions, but he was overpowered and butchered by the hoodlums before going after their target.