By Jude Atupulazi
At a time when the citizenry have lost hope in the ability of the government to protect them amid crippling insecurity, cheering news emanated from the Governor’s Lodge, Monday 16th December 2024, when the State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, finally reacted to the dire security situation in his state.
Addressing newsmen, Soludo reeled out what truly looked a riot act to criminals in the state, no doubt restoring some hope that peace will return to the beleaguered state.
The main points of Soludo’s riot act are viz:
- By next month (January 2025), Anambra State will launch a new robust security outfit named, “Operation Udo Ga-achi”.
2. There will be technology based security outfit stationed at every nook and cranny of the state and the bushes.
3. Everyone in the bush must be flushed out and destroyed. No one leaves in the bush. Anyone found in the bush henceforth, is a criminal.
4. There will be active phone numbers for reporting of information.
5. Anyone who gives support of any kind to criminals who claim to be agitators must be treated the same way as the criminals.
6. There will be a security tight state in Anambra from next month with Stop and Search method (people must submit to be Searched everywhere).
7. PGs and Igwes (traditoonal rulers) must be the first to report the bushes where criminals set up camps in their communities.
8. Any PG or Igwe who fails to report the location or the camps, or allow the criminals to set up camp in any part of their communities, if the government discovers the camp, the land will be cleared and automatically belongs to the Government (the Bill is currently at the State Assembly and will be passed soon).
9. Any building where a kidnapped victim is kept will be cleared and automatically belongs to the government.
10. In any land where ”unknown gunmen” set up a camp, the PG or Igwe must immediately report to the state security, otherwise, the land will be taken over by the government.
11. In any community where criminals are seen as saviours, praised or supported, such individual(s) in the community will be identified and treated like the criminals.
12. Anambra State Government is so determined to clear Ihiala LGA, Orumba North and South from the criminals and there is an intense clearing currently ongoing in these LGAs.
13. There are 4 FOBs currently fighting in Ihiala to clear these criminals and the war is ongoing and must be won.
14. There are 2 FOBs fighting in Orumba North and South, clearing the LGAs.
15. Anambra State Government has arrested more than 3,000 unknown gunmen and 90% of them are Igbos. 70% of the arrested ones are not from Anambra State.
16. There will be a new dimension of security forces in Anambra State next month, with all possible systems, and all the people must bear with the state because that will be the best way to end the criminality.
There is no doubt that Soludo seems to have addressed all the major issues militating against security in the state. Number eleven of the riot act particularly touched the reason why we are where we are today.
Right from the onset of this malaise in which some people claimed to be fighting for the liberation of Igbo Land, it was clear that their claim was far from the truth, as they were only fighting for themselves. But amazingly, many people, including the supposedly
