Kidnappers murder Imo monarch, dump body in market square

Gunmen have murdered the traditional ruler of Atta
ancient kingdom in the Njaba Local Government Area of
Imo State, Edwin Azike.
His corpse was found at the market square in the
community on Friday morning after he was abducted on
Thursday.
A community source, who pleaded not to be mentioned,
told our correspondent  that four persons were shot dead on
Thursday in the community after the monarch was
kidnapped.
The source said, “The traditional ruler of Atta ancient
kingdom in the Njaba LGA, Eze Edwin Azike, has been
murdered. His lifeless body was dumped at the market
square and the villagers discovered it this morning. He
was kidnapped on Thursday and thereafter, the community
was invaded which led to the killing of four persons.”
The chairman of Traditional Rulers Council/ Community
Policing in the state, Eze Emma Okeke, said that the
monarchs in the state were saddened by the killing of their
colleague.
Describing the killing of Azike as an abomination, Okeke
said that the council was on Friday morning informed of
the killing of the traditional ruler.
He said, “We have got the sad news about the killing of
Eze Edwin Azike. This is abominable in Igbo culture. I
don’t know why traditional rulers are being hunted like this.
We are not politicians, we are only custodians of the
culture of our people. We were informed on Thursday
when he was kidnapped, only for him to be found dead,
this morning.”
When contacted, a spokesperson for the police in the
state, Micheal Abattam, promised to make an inquiry and
get back to our correspondent but he had yet to do so as
of the time of filing this report.
The PUNCH had earlier reported that the traditional ruler
of Mbutu ancient kingdom in the Aboh Mbaise LGA,
Damian Nwaigwe, was on Thursday morning abducted
from his palace.
Also, the traditional ruler of Achi Mbieri in the Mbaitoli
LGA, Henry Madumere, was on November 20, 2021,
kidnapped at Iho in Ikeduru LGA, while on the way to a
public function.
The octogenarian monarch, who is the father of a former
deputy governor of the state, Eze Madumere, was
released six days after his abduction.