AGỤNECHEMBA IS BORN AND UDO GA-ACHỊ

(A Speech by the Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR on the occasion of unveiling of the Anambra Homeland Security Law and Launch of Special Security Operation, “Udo Ga-Achị” on Saturday, 18th January 2025)

1.0 Protocol

Ụmụ Nne m Ndị Anambra!

Yesterday the 17th of January 2025 marked our two years and ten months in office as Governor of Anambra State. True to our promise last month to take decisive actions on security, it is auspicious that we mark this anniversary and begin the new year with the events of today.

Security, law and order remain pivotal to the attainment of our vision of a liveable and prosperous homeland. The massive revolution by our administration in all sectors which are appreciated by Ndi Anambra must be cemented with a robust security system with zero tolerance for criminality. I want to assure you that despite the unique challenges of lucrative criminality adorned with deceptive ideology and propaganda, we are determined to fight criminality and ensure that Anambra becomes the safest state in Nigeria. The Homeland Security Law 2025 which I signed a few minutes ago, the special operation we are launching today (Operation Udo Ga Achi), deployment of technology, plus a gamut of other initiatives especially the massive support of the federal security agencies and citizens’ collective action constitute our comprehensive and sustainable response.

The character and dynamics of criminality in the Southeast and Nigeria have evolved and become hydra-headed, and so our response must be thoughtful, deliberate and comprehensive, involving both the kinetic and non-kinetic agenda. For example, kidnapping for ransom is not new. I recall that my 78-year-old father was kidnapped in 2009 and he spent 15 days with his abductors in the bush. Earlier that year, the oil mogul, Chief Anthony Enukeme (Tonimas), Chief Paul Okonkwo (Pokobros), Chief G.U.O Okeke, etc were kidnapped in the state. It was as if Armageddon had come. My predecessor tackled the menace head-on. However, in about 20 months before we assumed office in March 2022, a variant of the criminal gang under the guise of separatist agitation emerged with command-and-control centres. They killed policemen and soldiers at checkpoints and collected their guns. They attacked and burnt down many police stations. Sadly, most stakeholders kept mute. They set up camps in the bushes and forests and labelled themselves as “liberators”. Most people did not pay attention and very few cared to ask how these people with arms will be feeding from month to month or year to year or how they will be funding their operations.

Finally, the chicken came home to roost. Initially they turned on suspected politicians, killing innocent people without cause. We recall the gruesome murder of Dr. Chike Akunyili and many others in a commando style in crowded places. Candidates for the 2021 governorship election could not campaign freely especially in the south senatorial zone and the candidate for Labor Party, Mr. Obiora Agbasimalo was kidnapped en route to a campaign event and has not been seen until date. No governorship candidate could hold a rally in Ihiala Local government, and election could not hold there on election day. Because most of the kidnappings and killings happened during the political season, most of us misread the situation as being largely politically motivated. Facts emerged later to show that the problem was deeper and structurally more systemic.

On assumption of office, we met almost a war situation, with eight local governments literally under the total control of the criminals. We declared a state of emergency and responded massively: held security summit; inaugurated the Truth Justice and Peace Commission; engaged with multiple stakeholder groups; offered to re-train and re-integrate those in the bush if only they would surrender their arms; etc. We set up a vigilante strike force structure that worked with federal security agencies to root out criminals from our forests and remote areas. Within 12 months, we recovered the eight local governments under total siege.

Over time, some of the criminal elements returned to some locations. Several of the diverse criminal gangs/camps claim to be Biafra agitators. The IPOB has repeatedly issued multiple press statements dissociating itself from the criminals in the bush but Simon Ekpa with his organized criminal gangs continued to wreck untold havoc, with kidnapping for ransom as their main source of financing. From the thousands of arrests so far, about 70% of the criminals are not from Anambra state: we understand that they flock to Anambra because that is where the money is. Second, kidnapping for ransom quickly became the most lucrative criminal enterprise—better than drug trafficking or oil bunkering. The NBS reported that about N2.2 trillion was paid as ransom in 2024. We estimate that for every one Naira reported, there is probably about 5-6 Naira not reported (amounting to more than N10 trillion in ransom payment in 2024. No sector of the economy, with little capital investment could muster that kind of revenue/return). With a culture that celebrates wealth without work and does not ask people for their source of livelihood, even kidnappers and drug barons are also celebrated.

Besides kidnapping and armed robbery, there are other related challenges which reinforce each other—cultism, drug epidemic, land grabbing and touting. Add to these the warped ideology and value system that increasingly celebrates ‘magical wealth’ (ego mbute) plus the resurgence of criminal idolatry which offers the criminals a sense of invincibility and hence their dare devil brutal activities. Idolatry is the fastest growing religion in the Southeast. Because these criminals in the bush have converted to idolatry, there is a serious clash of religions to the extent that it is no longer sacrilegious to kidnap men of God or even Reverend Sisters. The pointed and vicious threat to Christianity in the Southeast is not yet appreciated by many. Our various security agencies— the Police, DSS, Army, Navy, Airforce, Civil defence, as well as our Vigilante and other special forces— are doing their best to confront these crimes under the existing laws.

What has become evident is that for systematic long-term solution, we need to strengthen the legal framework as well as the institutional organization, logistical capabilities, social re-engineering and citizens mass action. The Anambra Homeland Security Law 2025 attempts to provide a framework to progress along the above pillars. It not only establishes our new vigilante architecture (Agunechemba), but also provides a framework for community/citizens ownership and participation in the sustainable security and social re-engineering of our homeland. Agunechemba at the community and local government levels underscore the point that most cases of insecurity are local. The State Agunechemba is a strong strike/intervention force that will be agile and mobile, underscoring that effective kinetic architecture will require a simultaneous interplay of bottom-up and top-bottom forces. In sum, Agunechemba assists/complements the federal security forces especially the police. But brute force will probably address about 50% of the challenges, as the first and necessary step. We can’t defeat warped ideology and value system with guns alone. Over the medium to long term, we need to redeem the soul of our society by reinventing our fundamental values of enterprise/hard work, compassion and integrity—as the foundation for sustainable security, law and order. We will not only ramp up our civic and social reformation campaigns but also seriously reward and celebrate those who distinguish themselves in the virtues that define us. A society ultimately becomes what it celebrates. We cannot allow the 0.01% of our society who are criminals to define the 99.99% of us. Ndi Anambra are known for enterprise and excellence and we must completely take back our homeland. We invite you to read the new law carefully. It should be the Handbook for every citizen and resident of Anambra state. It should be discussed in schools, markets, churches, communities, motor parks, etc.

We should deepen and strengthen what we are doing that work. For example, Anambra State Special Anti-Touting Squad aka SASA, a body formed in October 2023, is living up to its established mandate which requires they get touts off the streets, transport environment and markets, and is on a stranglehold mission on these touts and drug peddlers. They have picked over 3,000 of such criminals. Upper Iweka and environs can breathe better now. We shall work with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to implement the National Drug Control Masterplan, which is a comprehensive framework for controlling drug related issues across the country, towards developing a formidable strategy against drug related crimes across all 21 local government areas and all communities in the state. Meanwhile, our new Homeland Security law requires the forfeiture of any property used for manufacture, use or sale of hard drugs to the state government. I have signed a number of relevant laws that will facilitate prosecution of touts and drug dealers.

Today, we launch a Special intervention force code named: “Operation Udo Ga-Achi” which translates to Operation Peace Shall Prevail. This special intervention, as an emergency action, complements regular policing by upscaling intelligence gathering, reward whistleblowers, enhance rapid response, and urgently root out the criminals from any/every camp in Anambra state. It will also have special task forces on drugs, touting, cultism, and criminal idolatry. We will ramp up our civic and social reformation, and we invite the clergy, communities, teachers, and social crusaders to join in this campaign. They will be active in all nooks and crannies of the state, with patrols and pin-down stop-and-search operations as necessary.

We are investing heavily in logistical support. We are unveiling some 200 vehicles made fit for purpose to aid operations and many more will be procured soon. This special force will have some 2,000 personnel— police, army, navy, civil defence, DSS, Agunechemba, plus other ‘special forces’. We are mainstreaming technology. We have installed best-in class Tracking System; emplacing a Command-and-Control system which enhances the use of voice, video and data in security management; deploying AI-powered surveillance cameras which we intend to cover most communities in Anambra; etc. Our State Call Centre is enabled, with the toll-free lines 5111 and 08002200008. Another platform run by the Nigerian Communication Commission has the call line 112 for emergency communication.

Operation Udo Ga – Achi shall also be supported by the State’s recently established independent communication network which enables security personnel to communicate flawlessly using walkie talkies.  We need people in the communities to give information to security agencies. Where you feel information given will be used against you, relay such information through our phone lines in Anambra State Call Centre. We will also be reviewing possible assistance to the existing Correctional Centres to expand their facilities and will embark on building the State’s Correctional centres. In partnership with the FGN, communities, patriotic Ndi Anambra and corporations, we intend to gradually re-build the 28 divisional police offices that were burnt down by the hoodlums.

Let’s begin the implementation of the Homeland Security law immediately. We call on all communities (traditional rulers, president-generals, etc) to read the law and set up the relevant security governance structures urgently. We plan to start paying monthly security support/grant to communities to augment their investment in security. The Mayors of respective local governments should also act urgently. We will work with the Commissioner of Police and DSS to identify the top 10 LGAs with history of violent crimes. As communicated to the DPOs and Area Commanders, we will pay a monthly bonus of N10 million for every month that any of these LGAs records zero violent crimes. We will map out communities and also design a reward system. In the meantime, we encourage each community to design and execute its own “cleansing or restoration programme”. A partnership of the church and traditional institutions/town unions might aid the process. For whistleblowers, anyone that gives us credible information that leads to the arrest of any kidnapper/armed robber or information that leads to rounding up of criminals in a camp will be paid a bounty of any amount up to a maximum of N5 million (depending on the class of criminal).

Before we conclude, let me reiterate our extension of hand of friendship and amnesty to kidnappers, cultists, drug dealers and other categories of criminals to surrender themselves, with their weapons and my government will ensure that they are rehabilitated and empowered to become productive citizens. All persons wishing to take advantage of this window should register at the Office of the Security Adviser to the Governor. This window remains open until February 28, 2025.

Let me now thank all citizens and friends of Anambra State who have contributed to the State Security Trust Fund. I salute the courage of some clergy who have stood up to call out the systemic monster that is upon us.  I want to also appreciate all those who devote their time, talent and resources to the security of their various communities. I salute particularly those from Ihiala local government. Currently, we have four FOBs stationed in various locations in Ihiala. There are ongoing clearance operations — and we are determined that the people of Ebonesie—Orsumoghu, Lilu, Isseke, Mbosi, etc and indeed the entire Ihiala local government must be totally liberated from these criminals. I must specially thank the FGN and the various security agencies for their commitment and support in this struggle to rid our state of organized armies of criminals.

Security is our collective responsibility.  Government alone cannot do it. Federal security agencies alone cannot do it. Sustainable security in our homeland requires full scale involvement of responsible citizenship. These criminals are our brothers, sisters, husbands, relations, friends, etc. They are not spirits. They live among us, and we know them. The fact is that 99% of these criminals arrested in Anambra since my 34 months in office are Igbos.  We are fighting a different kind of organized armies of criminals – a kind that Anambra has never seen before. But we must prevail. We must all collectively confront the warped ideology and agitation that lead many among us to view security personnel as the enemy, and the criminals as the liberators. Those who contribute food and money and send to the criminals in the bushes are part of the problem, and we will begin to treat them as collaborators/criminals. I call on everyone—the town unions, clergy, traditional rulers and all civil society organizations to join in deconstructing the dangerous narratives that legitimize this criminality. For our long-term survival, we must rise up and fight together. If you see or know something, say or do something! Silence means complicity. Complaint is not enough. Every resident or citizen of Anambra must every day ask what he/she has done that day to enhance security and prosperity of the homeland. Only collective action will guarantee sustainable success.

On the part of government, be rest assured that we are determined to take the criminals head-on and quadruple our efforts in security. We are ready to fight. Be vigilant. The next few months will be turbulent. The criminals will seek out and strike at soft targets to test our will. We are in a marathon race, and not a sprint. God Almighty who sees our hearts and works will grant us victory. Anambra will win!

God bless Anambra State and Nigeria!