The police in Anambra State have recovered a vehicle belonging to Justice Azuka, the abducted member of the State House of Assembly.

The police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

Mr Azuka was kidnapped on Tuesday night along Ugwunapampa Road in Onitsha North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The lawmaker, who represents Onitsha North State Constituency I in the state assembly, was returning home for Christmas celebration when he was kidnapped.

Mr Ikenga, a superintendent of police, said police operatives attached to the Inland Town Division recovered the vehicle.

He said the vehicle’s recovery followed an “intense ongoing operation” to rescue the lawmaker.

The spokesperson said the police operatives sighted the vehicle which was abandoned at Upper Iweka Road, several kilometres from the scene of the attack.

He did not disclose the vehicle’s model, but a picture attached to his statement indicated that the recovered vehicle is a Ford SUV.

The Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Nnaghe Obono, has charged the deployed police operatives to intensify efforts to rescue the abducted lawmaker, Mr Ikenga said.

Like other states in Nigeria’s south-east, security has deteriorated in Anambra State with frequent attacks by armed persons.

The attacks often target security agencies, government officials and facilities.

The Nigerian government has repeatedly accused the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region.

However, the group has repeatedly denied its involvement in the attacks.

IPOB is a group leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants carved out from the south-east and some parts of south-south Nigeria.

Simi Oluwaseyi, the sister of Queen Naomi, an estranged wife of Ooni of Ife, has shared an update regarding her sister’s arrest, raising concerns about her health

Naomi was remanded by a court of law in connection with a tragic stampede in Ibadan, which claimed the lives of 35 individuals.

In a series of Instagram posts, Similoluwa expressed heartfelt condolences to the grieving parents while drawing attention to her sister’s condition.

She disclosed that Naomi collapsed during her third day of questioning by the Department of State Services (DSS) and was subsequently hospitalized.

Similoluwa also revealed that before Naomi’s court appearance, a medical evaluation showed dangerously high blood pressure. She added that her sister had been denied access to her phone and family throughout her detention.

In her statement, she wrote, “I extend my deepest sympathies to the families of the deceased children. My sister endured over six days in detention, collapsing during interrogation on the third day and being rushed to the hospital.”

The Nigerian Navy, Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Igbokoda, has successfully intercepted a boat filled with approximately 100,000 litres of stolen crude oil along the Idiogba-Mahin coastline in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The operation, led by Capt. Aliyu Usman, the Commanding Officer of the base, took place on Thursday after the team acted on reliable intelligence. Capt. Usman explained that the Navy deployed its Quick Response Team to intercept the illegal shipment, which included a wooden boat loaded with the stolen oil as well as equipment commonly used in bunkering activities, such as discharge hoses and pumping machines.

Upon sighting the Naval team, the perpetrators fled the scene, leaving the boat behind. The team secured the vessel, and a sample of the crude oil was taken for a laboratory test to confirm its origin. The boat and its contents were handled in accordance with the Navy’s protocols.

This operation underscores the Nigerian Navy’s continued commitment to tackling illegal oil activities and protecting the nation’s resources.