The Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has yesterday revealed that he doubted if the release of the detained Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, leader Nnamdi Kanu, would end the violence and insecurity in the South-East.
According to Soludo, criminal elements have already hijacked the Biafran struggle and are now exploiting the Biafran struggle in the IPOB leader’s name to commit all forms of crime that is currently fuelling the insecurity in the South-East region.
The Governor explained that the said criminals under the guise of agitation have turned the whole violence into “lucrative criminality,” engaging in armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism, and idolatry.
Soludo insisted that the activities of the said criminals have completely derailed from the genuine liberation struggle started by some political interest group saying unlike now that such crimes are purely driven by greed and lawlessness.
He was making these remarks during a press briefing at the Governor’s Lodge in Amawbia yesterday, where he revealed that over 99 per cent of criminals arrested in Anambra in the past two years were Igbo, with more than 70 per cent being non-indigenes of the state.
The Governor said, “The so-called agitators have transformed into organised criminal gangs. They hide in forests, kidnapping innocent citizens for ransom, and they justify their atrocities under the pretext of Biafra. Let us be clear—this has nothing to do with any liberation movement. Criminality has taken on a life of its own. These people have tasted blood, and now, money is their motivation.”
Therefore, he expressed doubt that even if the federal government decides to release the detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, it will not end the crisis, as the criminals appear to have parted ways with the original agitation agenda.
The former Central Bank Governor explained, “Kanu and IPOB have repeatedly dissociated themselves from these criminals, even if Nnamdi Kanu is released today, I’m not sure they would listen to him because what they now pursue is wealth, not liberation. They have become enemies of the people they claim to protect. Who are they fighting for when they kidnap and kill their own people?”
However, he laments the complicity of some community persons in shielding these criminals, buttressing that the insecurity was able to thrive in the region was because some locals have been confused to see security agencies as adversaries and the criminals as liberators.
“Our people know these criminals. They are our brothers, cousins, and neighbors,” he said. “It’s unfortunate that in some communities, people contribute food to sustain these criminals hiding in the forests. How do you fight insecurity when people see criminals as heroes and the police as the enemy?”
Meanwhile, he announced a plan to launch ‘Operation Udo Ga Chi’ (Operation Peace Shall Reign), a state-wide security initiative scheduled to commence after January 25.
The Governor said, the state authority would deploy 163 branded vehicles for stop-and-search activities and integrate advanced surveillance technology to track criminals and secure forests.
In his statement, “We are intensifying our security measures with both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches. We have trained forest guards to work with vigilantes and LG authorities to reclaim our forests. I call on these criminals to embrace our amnesty window, which remains open until the end of February”.
Meanwhile, he called for collective action from religious leaders, traditional rulers, and residents to take ownership of their communities and cooperate with security agencies.
While appreciating the effort of the federal government, he reiterating his administration’s resolve to rid the state of criminal elements and ensure lasting peace and security.