Police confirm kidnap of Anambra lawmaker as assailants kill vigilante operative

The Police Command in Anambra State has confirmed the kidnapping of Mr Okechukwu Okoye, a lawmaker representing Aguata Constituency 1 in the State House of Assembly.

Okoye, an indigene of Isuofia, the same community as Gov. Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State, was kidnapped in Aguata on Sunday.

DSP Toochukwu Ikenga, the Police Public Relations Officer of the command, who confirmed the kidnap while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN), on Sunday in Anambra, said the lawmaker’s black Siena bus, which he was driving before the incident, had been recovered.

Ikenga said the command had launched a manhunt for the kidnappers with the aim of rescuing him.

The PPRO also confirmed the killing of a member of a vigilante group, who was on a motorcycle in Oko town, Anambra, on Sunday.

Ikenga said the deceased was putting on a special security outfit, but was not a personnel of the command.

He described as misleading, a version of the story that said the deceased was a Police personnel, and urged the public to disregard the story.

“The Anambra State Police operatives on May 15 recovered a lifeless body in a police T-shirt found along Oko expressway.

“Preliminary information shows that the unidentified body is not a member of the Nigeria Police Force.

“Meanwhile, investigation has begun to unravel the identity of the deceased and perpetrators of the murder,” he said.

Ikenga said normalcy had been restored to the area, and urged everyone to remain calm while being safety conscious. (NAN)