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The Anambra State Police Command announced the recovery of the vehicle belonging to Hon. Justice Azuka, the kidnapped representative of Onitsha North Constituency in the State House of Assembly, on Thursday.
The vehicle’s retrieval is seen as a pivotal moment in the investigation, as law enforcement intensifies efforts to track down the kidnappers. While this marks a positive development, the authorities remain focused on locating the abducted lawmaker and ensuring his safe return.
Around 9:20 p.m. on Christmas Eve, Hon. Justice Azuka was seized by unknown assailants while returning home on Ugwunabampa Road in Inland Town, Onitsha. Since the abduction, there has been no word from the kidnappers, and Azuka’s family has received no communication, leaving them in a distressing state of uncertainty. The authorities are yet to identify the perpetrators, and efforts to locate the lawmaker continue with urgency.
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In a statement released by Tochukwu Ikenga, the state’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), it was disclosed that the recovery of Hon. Justice Azuka’s official vehicle, which he was driving during the abduction, was made possible through an ongoing and aggressive operation focused on his rescue. The development signals a step forward in the investigation, as authorities remain determined to locate the kidnapped legislator.
“The separate rescue team sighted the abandoned vehicle at Upper Iweka Road,” he stated.
The kidnapping of the lawmaker has continued to fuel fears in the state, coming a few weeks after the retired Anglican Archbishop, Most Rev. Godwin Okpala, was abducted alongside his driver.
Okpala’s whereabouts have remained unknown since he was kidnapped.
The incident was shortly followed by the killing of a lecturer at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) in Awka, Dr. Fabian Osita.
Recently, a group of non-indigenes in the state declared vast parts of the state as “no-go areas.” They listed the areas as Orumba, Aguata, Ihiala, Nnewi, Idemili North and South, and Ekwusigo local government areas.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Nnaghe Obono Itam, has charged the deployed rescue team to intensify efforts for the possible rescue of the Honourable member.
