Gunmen abduct another top Anambra politician, shoot his only son

<p><strong><a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;Openlife&period;ng">Gunmen<&sol;a> have abducted a local politician in <a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;Openlife&period;ng">Anambra State<&sol;a>&comma; Nigeria’s South-east&comma; a few hours after the news of the <a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;Openlife&period;ng">beheading of a lawmaker in the state became public<&sol;a>&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The abducted man&comma; <a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;Openlife&period;ng">Uzozie Chukwujekwu<&sol;a>&comma; is a special adviser to a former chairman of Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The local government area has witnessed frequent attacks lately&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The gunmen reportedly invaded Umudiji Umuohama village in Ukpor&comma; a community in the council area&comma; in the early hours of Saturday&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The attack occurred six days after gunmen had abducted a lawmaker in the state&comma; Okechukwu Okoye&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Mr Okoye&comma; who represented Aguata 2 State Constituency&comma; was beheaded and his corpse dumped along the road in the state on Saturday&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h1><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;gunmen-abduct-popular-nigerian-pastor-son-in-ondo&sol;"><span style&equals;"color&colon; &num;ff0000&semi;">Gunmen Kidnap Popular Nigerian Pastor&comma; Son In Ondo<&sol;span><&sol;a><&sol;h1>&NewLine;<p>The latest victim&comma; Mr Chukwujekwu&comma; who is a farmer&comma; was reportedly abducted from his house&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The gunmen&comma; who abducted him&comma; shot his only son in the stomach for refusing to open the gate for them when they invaded the area&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The politician’s son has been taken to a nearby hospital where he is receiving treatment&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The police spokesperson in Anambra State&comma; Tochukwu Ikenga confirmed the incident&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>He said the police have begun an operation to rescue the victim from his abductors&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h1>Worsening Situation<&sol;h1>&NewLine;<p>Security in Nigeria’s South-east has deteriorated in recent times with attacks by armed persons reported almost daily across the region&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Anambra State has witnessed some of the worst attacks in the region&period; The attacks often target security agencies&comma; government officials and facilities&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Mr Soludo recently visited Nnamdi Kanu&comma; the leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra &lpar;IPOB&rpar; in detention&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The governor said the visit to the IPOB leader was part of his &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;wider consultations with critical stakeholders” to ensure lasting peace and security in the South-east<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>During his inauguration as the state governor&comma; Mr Soludo had called for a dialogue with the IPOB and similar groups in the state and region&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The governor&comma; thereafter&comma; announced an amnesty programme for the gunmen and declared an end to the sit-at-home order in the state&period; But residents have continued to obey the Monday sit-at-home order in the state and across the region&comma; mostly out of fear&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The attacks by the gunmen increased in the state shortly after Mr Soludo’s inauguration and announcement of an end to the sit-at-home order in the state&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The Nigerian government has accused IPOB of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region&period; But the group has repeatedly denied their involvement in the attacks&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The separatist group is leading the agitation for an independent state of Biafra to be carved out from the South-east and some parts of the South-south Nigeria&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The leader of the secessionist group&comma; Mr Kanu&comma; is detained in Abuja where he is facing trial for terrorism&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Mr Kanu appeared in court on May 18 in the continuation of his trial&period; He is billed to appear in court again on May 26&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;