Gunmen suspected of being cultists shot and kidnapped Justice Azunda, the protocol officer of Emeka Woke, the immediate past Chief of Staff to former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.
According to Punch, the gunmen attacked Isiodu hamlet in Emuoha Local Government Area of Rivers State on Sunday, June 4, 2023, where Mr Azunda and others were meeting and shot sporadically in a commando style before taking him away.
According to reports, the shooters were commanded by Onuigwe Nwodi, a known cultist who has terrorized a stretch of the East-West expressway.
Dr Chidi Lloyd, Chairman of Emuoha Local Government Area, confirmed the incident and issued a N2 million reward for Wordi’s capture, as well as an immediate ban on motorbike operations in the area.
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“In what I describe as a very sad incident yesterday (Sunday) afternoon. Wordi and his gang invaded the Isiodu community where Justice Azunda and some other persons were holding a meeting and they shot sporadically into the meeting,” Lloyd said.
“In the ensuing melee, Mr Justice Azunda was abducted.”
He charged members of the Emuoha Local Government Vigilante Service, a local vigilante group, with assisting security forces and ensuring the early release of the protocol officer.
“Members of the Emuoha Vigilante are up and doing in recent times. They have been in the bush. I have charged them once again to ensure that Mr Justice Azunda is released unscattered.
“I also want to use this opportunity to say that the bounty on Wordi has been increased from N1 million to N2 million on anybody who has any useful information on the whereabouts of Wordi.
“I want to painfully announce the ban on the movement of motorcycles in the local government from 6 pm to 6 pm. The ban will come into force from June 5, 2023. I know the hardship that this will cause on the people,” Dr Lloyd added.