Gunmen kill Benue lawyer, Benedict Azza in Zamfara

Gunmen suspected to be terrorists have killed a Benue-born lawyer identified as Benedict Torngee Azza in Gusau, Zamfara State.

Azza, who was a principal partner at BT Azza & Co. Chambers, based in Gusau, was shot dead along Byepass, near Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Headquarters in the state while returning to his residence around 10 pm on Thursday.

The state chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Junaidu Abubakar, confirmed the incident in a statement on Friday.

According to him, the gunmen who earlier wanted to abduct the deceased came on a motorcycle.

He said, “This is to confirm to you that our colleague and friend, Benedict Torngee Azza Esq. (Barr B. T. Aza) is dead. B. T. Azza died yesterday Thursday, 18th day of August 2022 at about 2200 – 2230hrs,” the NBA chairman said.

“Yesterday at about 2230hrs, while I was in my house, I received three different phone calls from our colleagues informing me that B. T. Azza Esq. was shot dead by unknown gunmen and his body was lying on the roadside along Byepass near FRSC office, Gusau.

“Immediately after receiving the information, I rushed to the scene where I met our colleagues, 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 roadside. While we were there, FRSC 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 mortuary.

“According to the information, BT Azza was shot dead by 2 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 situated at Saminaka Area, behind Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Headquarters, Byepass, Gusau but he was able to escape, drove his vehicle and run (sic) to the roadside. 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 (sic) 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.

“BT was said to have been shot three times by the unknown gunmen who, after the shootings, they took to their heel when they saw people coming to the scene.”

The deceased was from Yelewatta, Makurdi Benue State. He 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.