Justice Azuka, the Labour Party representative for Onitsha North Constituency in the Anambra State House of Assembly, has been abducted by unidentified gunmen. The incident occurred on Tuesday night along Ugwunapampa Road in Inland Town, Onitsha, as the lawmaker was returning home, according to News360 Nigeria.
Azuka recently reclaimed his seat after a court nullified the election of Douglas Egbuna of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Sources say he was forcibly taken to an unknown location, and no contact has been made with his family by the kidnappers.
Confirming the abduction, Anambra Police Command spokesperson DSP Tochukwu Ikenga stated that operational plans have been activated to rescue Azuka and apprehend the perpetrators.
“The report revealed that on December 24, 2024, at about 9:20 pm, while returning home on Ugwunapampa Road, he was abducted by unidentified persons. The command is already working on some clues for the possible rescue and arrest of the kidnappers. Further developments will be communicated,” Ikenga said.
A close associate of the lawmaker speaking anonymously expressed grave concerns about his safety and whereabouts.
This incident has reignited fears following the 2022 abduction and subsequent murder of Okechukwu Okoye, a lawmaker representing Aguata Constituency 1. Okoye, from the same community as Anambra Governor Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, was beheaded, with his remains later discovered in a community in the state.
As investigations continue, the abduction has drawn attention to the growing insecurity faced by public officials in Anambra State and the need for heightened measures to protect their lives.
