Concerns Mount Over Missing Anambra LP Guber Candidate, Whereabout Still Unknown After Over 800 Days

Obiora Agbasimalo, the Labour Party (LP) candidate for the 2021 governorship election in Anambra State, Nigeria, has been missing for 885 days, with little response from Nigerian authorities. Agbasimalo was abducted on September 18, 2021, less than a month before the Anambra State governorship election held on November 6, 2021.

Despite the election of Charles Soludo as governor, Agbasimalo remains missing. Soludo, who won the election under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), was sworn in on March 17, 2022. Agbasimalo had resigned from Zenith Bank to contest in the gubernatorial race after a successful banking career spanning about 15 years.

The LP candidate was abducted in Lilu, a community in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, during a campaign tour to Azhia, another community in the same area. He was reportedly abducted alongside a police officer from his convoy.

Initial efforts to rescue Agbasimalo were reportedly hindered by the LP’s decision not to report his abduction to security agencies or the media, based on assurances from the abductors that he would be released after the election. However, when this did not happen, his family petitioned various security agencies, leading to the arrest and arraignment of two suspects: Chukwudi Odimegwu, who was Agbasimalo’s driver, and Maxwell Nwokolo.

Odimegwu and Nwokolo are currently facing trial at the Anambra State High Court, Nnewi, where they have pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy and kidnapping filed against them by the State Security Service (SSS). During the court proceedings, Mrs. Eucharia Agbasimalo, the wife of the abducted politician, revealed that Nwokolo claimed to be a member of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), the militant wing of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Despite the ongoing trial and efforts by Mrs. Agbasimalo to seek help from influential figures such as Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, Pat Utomi, and Governor Soludo, there has been minimal progress in locating Agbasimalo. The lack of substantial updates from authorities and media coverage of the case has raised concerns about the handling of the situation.

When contacted for comments, Peter Afunanya, the SSS spokesperson, did not respond, while Christian Aburime, Governor Soludo’s spokesperson, emphasized the governor’s commitment to supporting security agencies in finding missing persons like Agbasimalo. Aburime highlighted the establishment of a Bureau for Missing Persons by the Soludo administration as part of efforts to address such cases.

Premium Times