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The Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, who is still battling insecurity in his state, says he is giving criminals in the forests until February to accept the state’s amnesty offer or face devastating consequences.
The governor spoke during a press briefing at the Governor’s Lodge in Amawbia on Tuesday. He said the government was planning a special anti-banditry initiative, Operation Udo Ga Chi (Operation Peace Shall Reign), throughout the state by January 25, 2025.
Soludo said the operation would deploy 163 branded vehicles “in the first instance” for stop-and-search activities and integrate advanced surveillance technology to track and weed out the criminals and secure the forests.
Soludo talks tough, says that Anambra will launch security programs to ensure a safe environment for lives and businesses, stating it can never become a sanctuary for criminals. https://t.co/JFbrJntCJ6 pic.twitter.com/Hy44ZwLlGO
— Anambra State New Media (@AnambraNewMedia) December 17, 2024
“We are intensifying our security measures with both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches. We have trained forest guards to work with vigilantes and LGA authorities to reclaim our forests. I call on these criminals to embrace our amnesty window, which remains open until the end of February,” Soludo said.
Soludo remarked that the activities of criminal elements in the state have taken on a commercial dimension and certainly have nothing to do with the liberation struggle under the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), which have repeatedly denounced these violent activities.
Kanu’s Release No Longer Enough
The governor said the government was taking decisive and preemptive action because he was no longer convinced that releasing the IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, would be sufficient to deter the nefarious activities of these criminals in the South East.
He noted that under the guise of agitation, these individuals had turned to “lucrative criminality,” engaging in armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism, and idolatry.
He insisted that their activities have nothing to do with the genuine liberation struggle, stating that such crimes are purely driven by greed and lawlessness.
Soludo also asserted that over 99% of criminals arrested in Anambra in the past two years were Igbos, with more than 70% being non-indigenes of the state.
“The so-called agitators have transformed into organized criminal gangs,” Soludo said.
“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.”
“Kanu and IPOB have repeatedly dissociated themselves from these criminals,” Soludo explained.
“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?”
“Our people know these criminals. They are our brothers, cousins, and neighbours,” 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 enemies?” the governor asked rhetorically.
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