Justice Azuka, a member of Anambra state’s House of Assembly, was kidnapped by gunmen.
The legislator, who represents the Onitsha North constituency in the House of Assembly, was ambushed by gunmen on Ugwunapampa Road in Onitsha, Anambra state while coming home for the Christmas holiday.
The incident happened on Tuesday night.
Azuka is a member of the Labour Party. In November 2023, the appeals court upheld his election after removing a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker who had previously been deemed the poll winner.
Ikenga Tochukwu, Anambra police spokesperson, confirmed the event and said the command has “activated operational plans” to rescue the lawmaker.
“The report of the incident indicates that on December 24, 2024, at about 9:20 pm, while returning home along Ugwunapampa Road, he was abducted by unidentified persons,” Ikenga said.
“The command is working on leads to ensure his rescue and the arrest of those responsible. Further updates will be provided as the investigation progresses.”
This is not the first time that a state legislator has been kidnapped in Anambra.
Gunmen assassinated Okechukwu Okoye, a politician representing the state’s Aguata II seat, in May 2022.
Okoye was initially kidnapped in the state’s Aguata region.
After a few days, his decapitated body was discovered in the Nnobi district of the state.