The Labour Party Caucus of the House of Representatives has expressed deep concern over the prolonged captivity of a member of the Anambra State Assembly, Hon. Justice Azuka, representing Onitsha North state constituency.
Azuka, a Labour Party lawmaker was kidnapped last Christmas Eve at about 9pm somewhere in Ugwunakpamkpa area of Onitsha while he was returning home for Christmas celebrations.
The LP House of Representatives Caucus leader, and, member representing Ogbaru federal constituency of Anambra State, Hon Victor Afam Ogene, in a statement yesterday described the seeming inaction and silence of the Anambra state government on securing the lawmaker’s freedom as “alarming and disheartening.”
The LP caucus leader called on the Anambra state governor, Professor l Chukwuma Soludo to take urgent and decisive action to secure the release of the abducted state lawmaker and also address the growing insecurity in the State, which according to him “has become notorious for kidnappings and killings”.
Ogene added, “It’s 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 stated further.
Ogene noted that shortly before his abduction, Hon. Azuka had regained his mandate after the Elections Petitions Tribunal sacked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP’s) Hon. Douglas Egbuna, who was previously announced winner of the 2023 state assembly poll.
Ogene said: “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, kidnappings and other violent crimes in the state is fast turning the state into a killing field. And this is not an exaggeration. The crime that is reported in the state is just a tiny fraction of the horrendous insecurity reality in Anambra. That’s the brutal truth.
“The horrific experiences of kidnapping survivors in Anambra underscore the dire need for improved security in the state. The government’s primary responsibility is to ensure the safety and well-being of its citizens, as well as protect their property. It is imperative that the government takes decisive action to reclaim control from criminal gangs and restore confidence among the people.
“Although I am aware of recent efforts to tackle the menace, through the launch of Operation Udo ga chi and Agunachemba security outfit, one wonders why it took the state government more than two years to get serious about tackling the insecurity choking the state.
“The government must prioritize the security of lives and property, as this is fundamental to its role and save the people from the daily horror of the current situation in Anambra,” Hon. Ogene said.
