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Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo has launched a new security operation in the state to curb the spate of kidnappings, killings, car snatching, and other vices. He promised to pay up to N5 million to whistleblowers who provide information that lead to the arrest of any kidnappers.
The governor who launched the operation codenamed: Operation Udo Ga Achi, which means peace shall reign, also unveiled the state’s new security agency; Agunechemba, which he said comprised of over 2,000 operatives drawn from various security agencies.
Soludo had earlier in the day disbursed about 200 vehicles to various security agencies to strengthen their operations. They included Sienna Vehicles and Hilux trucks.
While launching the operation at the International Convention Center, in Awka, the governor said: “We have come to launch an operation that will secure us. First was the passage of the Anambra Homeland Security Laws, which was done just two days ago, the bill has passed into law and has become operational.
“I want to assure you that despite the lucrative criminality, and its attendant fetish practices, we pledge to fight criminality and make Anambra the safest state in the country.
“Kidnapping is not new, my father had been kidnapped as far back as 2009, GU Okeke, Pokobros, and many others have fallen victim too. Before I assumed office, about eight local government areas were being controlled by gunmen. They killed policemen and collected guns, attacked and burnt down police stations, and went into the bush to label themselves liberators.
“We came in and went to work and cleared them and we recovered the eight local government areas that were under siege. These gangs claim to be Biafra freedom fighters. IPOB has dissociated itself from it, but one Simon Ekpa has continued kidnapping for ransom.
“Kidnapping for ransom is now the most lucrative enterprise, even more lucrative than drug and oil. For every naira reported as payment for ransom, five to six naira were not reported. With a culture that celebrates wealth without craft, even the kidnappers amongst us are now celebrated. Idolatry which these criminals have converted to has become the fastest growing religion in the South East. Nothing is sacred to them anymore.
“We are coming for them. We promise to pay whistleblowers who give information that can lead to the arrest of kidnappers in the state. We will review the extent of the usefulness of the information, and whistleblowers can get as much as N5 million,” Soludo said.
The governor regretted that initially, people linked the criminals to the Biafra struggle, while many others who watched events shortly before the 2021 governorship election attributed it to politics. He said today, it has been found to have nothing attached to politics or even the Biafra struggle, but typically as an enterprise, geared towards making money.
He added that security agencies are doing their best in the state, and he is out to ensure that they function properly by providing logistical support and also declaring full war if need be.
“Security forces doing their best to combat this, but we need to strengthen them with logistical capability, social reengineering, and citizen support. We can’t defeat this warped system with guns alone, so we are deploring kinetic and non-kinetic approaches to it.
“We unveiled 200 vehicles and we will acquire more. Agunechemba will have over 2,000 personnel. We have acquired a tracking system and we will deploy surveillance cameras to monitor communities. We will rebuild 28 divisional police stations that were burnt down by hoodlums.”
He named certain communities like Lilu, Mbosi, and Isseke that have become very well-known criminality by gunmen. He said said; “Tell them we are coming, even if it means declaring the area a war zone, just tell them we are coming. We are also making war plans and we will unleash war on them. We are now ready to fight, they will give way and they will do so finally.”
David-Chyddy Eleke
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