Labour Party Lawmakers Demand Action Over Missing Anambra Legislator
Labour Party (LP) members in the National Assembly have expressed outrage over the lack of decisive action by the Anambra State Government regarding the abduction of Hon. Justice Azuka, a member of the state’s House of Assembly. Azuka, who represents Onitsha North 1, was kidnapped by gunmen on December 24, 2024, while traveling to spend Christmas with his family.
Over a month since the incident, Azuka remains missing, prompting national-level Labour Party lawmakers to call out the silence and perceived inaction of the state government. The lawmaker had reclaimed his mandate from a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) opponent through the Election Petitions Tribunal before his abduction.
In a statement signed by Hon. Afam Ogene, leader of the Labour Party caucus in the National Assembly, the lawmakers voiced their deep concern over the prolonged captivity of their colleague.
“We are alarmed and disheartened by the seeming inaction and silence of the Anambra State Government on this matter, which has hindered efforts to secure Hon. Azuka’s release,” the statement read.
The caucus urged Governor Chukwuma Soludo to act swiftly and decisively to rescue the abducted lawmaker while addressing the growing insecurity in Anambra State. They expressed alarm over the state’s rising reputation as a hotspot for kidnappings and killings by gunmen.
Hon. Ogene lamented: “It is time to bring sanity back to Anambra State, which has disturbingly become an open and ungoverned crime enclave. Even more repugnant is the criminal silence of Hon. Azuka’s colleagues in not taking the state government to task in the search for the rescue of one of their own.”
He added, “The level of carnage going on in Anambra on a daily basis is heart-rending. People live in fear as a result of the growing insecurity. The rate of bloodletting, kidnapping, and other violent crimes in the state is fast turning it into a killing field. And this is not an exaggeration.”
Ogene also highlighted the harrowing experiences of kidnapping survivors in the state, underscoring the urgent need for improved security measures.
The Labour Party caucus called for immediate government intervention to restore peace and security in Anambra, ensuring the safety of citizens and lawmakers alike.
