A foremost Nigerian lawyer, Benedict Torngee Azza, has been killed by some unknown gunmen.
POLITICS NIGERIA learnt that the assailants invaded the residence of the legal practitioner situated at Saminaka Area, behind Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) headquarters bypass, Gusau, Zamfara State.
The attack occurred around 10:30pm on Thursday.
Reports indicate that the barrister was shot three times while trying to flee from the suspected kidnappers, which subsequently led to his death.
Confirming his murder, Junaidu Abubakar, the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Gusau Branch, said in a statement on Friday: “Yesterday at about 2230hrs, while I was in my house, I received three different phone calls from our colleaques informing me that B. T. Azza Esq. was shot dead by unknown gunmen and his body was lying on the road side along Byepass near FRSC office, Gusau.
“Immediately after receiving the information, I rushed to the scene where I met our colleaques, Abdullahi Ibrahim Esq. and Ibrahim Sani Gusau Esq. with much number of security personnel (police and soldiers). I saw BT Azza’s dead body lying in cold blood on the shoulders of the road. I also saw his accident vehicle (Lexus Jeep) by the road side.
“While we were there, FRSC’s personnel came to the scene with a body bag in which the dead body was deposited and taken by the police to Yariman Bakura Specialists Hospital, Gusau where his dead body was deposited in the matuary.
“According to the information, BT Azza was shot dead by two unknown gunmen suspected to be kidnappers who came on a motorcycle. The information has it that, the gunmen wanted to kidnap him at his house situate at Saminaka Area, behind FRSC Headquarters, Byepass, Gusau but he was able to escape, drove his vehicle and run to the road side.
“The gunmen pursued him and shot him dead.
“B. T. Azza’s neighbours said they heard some gunshots in the area and after a while, they also heard loud sound of a vehicle accident. When they came out and rushed to the scene, they saw BT opens his vehicle’s door, came out and walked with his legs to the main road where he sat down and he started bleeding and he died instantly.”
The deceased, from Yelewatta, Makurdi in Benue State, attended GCSS, Udei in 1999, University of Jos and Nigerian Law School, Kano Campus in 2008.
He was married to Izuagie Rachael and blessed with children.
