Few hours after Tinubu assures of phasing out kidnapping, lawmaker abducted returning home for Christmas

Barely few hours after President Bola Tinubu promised to end incessant cases of kidnapping and other criminal activities in the country, a member of the Anambra House of Assembly, Hpn Justice Azuka has been kidnapped by gunmen.

Penpushing reports that the lawmaker who represents Onitsha North Constituency I was abducted on Tuesday night along Ugwunapampa Road in Onitsha North Local Government Area of Anambra State, while retuning home for the Christmas celebration

The Anambra State Police Command Public Relations Officer Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the ugly development in a statement on Wednesday evening, explaining that the gunmen abducted Azuka at about 9:20 p.m. on Tuesday.

Penpushing further reports that Ikenga, a superintendent of police, added that as at the time of filing this report the police in the state had activated operational plans for the possible rescue and arrest of the kidnappers of the lawmaker

The record, however, has it that, Governor Charles Soludo in a recent effort to address worsening insecurity, declared amnesty for criminals and kidnappers in the state for the third time since he became governor of the South-eastern state.

Penpushing further reports that it is recalled that on May 22, 2022 gunmen abducted and then beheaded Okechukwu Okoye, a lawmaker representing Aguata 2 Constituency in the Anambra State House of Assembly.

The lawmaker was killed alongside his aide, Cyril Chiegboka, six days after they were abducted along Aguluzigbo Road, Anaocha Local Government Area of the state, while findings revealed that members and former members of the assembly had been targeted in some deadly attacks by gunmen terrorising the state.

Penpushing also reports that in similar occurrence gunmen abducted a special adviser to a former Chairperson of Nnewi South Council Area, Uzozie Chukwujekwu, and equally shot his only son just a few hours after the news of the beheading of Okoye went public.

The record equally showed that within the same year, two former members of the Anambra State House of Assembly were abducted and then killed in separate attacks, and apart from politicians, government officials, security agencies, and even clerics have become targets of attacks lately.

Penpushing reports that earlier in December, retired Archbishop of the Anglican Diocese of Nnewi, Prof Godwin Okpala, and his driver were declared missing in the state and the driver have yet to be seen at the time of this report.

The Nigerian government has accused the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a leading the agitation for an independent state of Biafra, which it wants to be carved out from the South-East and some parts of South-South of the country, of being responsible for some of the deadly attacks in the region, but the group has repeatedly denied their involvement.

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