The first Deputy Governor of Anambra state, and National Vice President of Action Congress of Nigeria, Dr Chuddy Nwike, who was kidnapped three weeks ago has been killed by his abductors.
This was confirmed by the Anambra state chapter of the party. A statement by the state publicity secretary, Okelo Madukaife, read in part:
“With a heart full of pain and sorrow, Action Congress of Nigeria, Anambra State Chapter, after consultation with the Nwike Family of Azu Ogbunike, Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State announces the death murder of Dr Chuddy Nwike, Ibolo Ogbunike, First Deputy Governor of Anambra State and National Vice President of the Action Congress of Nigeria (South East).
“Dr Nwike’s body has been identified by our State Chairman, Chief Amaechi Obidike, our State Secretary, Barr Emeka Ibe and his brother Dr Bufo Nwike at Agbor Police Station in Delta State.
“Dr Nwike, who became Deputy Governor of Anambra State under Gov Chukwuemeka Ezeife in 1991, was abducted by gunmen on March 19, 2013 by suspected kidnappers.
“But rather than release the ex-Deputy Governor, the kidnappers seized the money and the courier on April 05, 2013, cutting off all communication, until the body was found.
The spokesman noted that “All efforts and all contacts made by our party to relevant authorities had not yielded any dividend and have surprisingly not even drawn any concern from quarters we took for granted.
“We worked and prayed to see Dr Nwike return safe and alive to continue contributing as he has been doing to our party, but we have not. We toiled and moiled to see our South East National Vice Chairman, play his traditional fatherly role in the tasks immediately before us.
“But we are crest-fallen that Dr Nwike as gone the way of all mortals, though in a way we would have wished away.
ACN said it is ashamed of the circumstances of the death of its high-ranking member and wish that it could now erase from history the circumstance that led to the death of the former Deputy Governor of a State in Nigeria.
“Our leader Dr Chris Nwabueze Ngige mourns, our committed party faithfuls weep and our overwhelming supporters wail, but Dr Nwike,Ibolo Ogbunike ,distinguished medical Doctor, calculative politician and quintessential statesman is no more.
Madukaife added that “Since the security agencies did not succeed in tracking down Anambra’s Deputy Governor in life, we urge them to rise and smash all obstacles on the way to unearthing the abductors and killers of ACN’s rare gem, an embodiment of peace and knowledge.
“We urge them to leave no stone unturned and not be beaten by any decoy until the nation has the right answers to the nagging questions. For we may know who will it be next?, the statement concluded.
“According to the family, the suspected kidnappers made contact with his brother Dr Bufo Nwike shortly after with a ransom demand of N30 million equivalent, delivered in US Dollars. The young Dr Nwike, negotiated the sum to N5 million which was delivered to a location in Delta State through a courier on Friday April 05, 2013,after rejecting the offer for the wife or the brother to deliver the money.
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