A new wave of insecurity is currently sweeping through Prof Chukwuma Soludo’s Anambra State.
Many residents of the state are accusing the governor and the new commissioner of police, CP Enaghe Obono Itam of not doing enough.
Though there has always been insecurity in the state, the deteriorating situation started not long after the former commissioner of Police, Mr Aderemi Adeoye retired.
Aderemi had during his time stood his feet firmly on the ground, to the point of battling some elites of Awka kingdom, who were mentioned for being among the sponsors of cultism.
In a spate of one week, no fewer than eight youths have been killed in what has been identified as cult related killings.
Last two Sundays, 7th of July and dubbed 7/7, a day many cultists celebrate their confraternity, Anambra State Police command had just a day before sent out a press release warning against any such celebration in the state.
The release which was signed by the command’s spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga said the command would not tolerate any gathering of such elements, while also warning that bar and hotel operators who lend their space to such elements would be dealt with.
One would think that with such warning, the command has made adequate arrangements to police the state, but on the same Sunday, three people were reportedly killed in the state capital, Awka.
A senior journalist, who prefers not to be named, who witnessed one of the killings said: “I was outside the gate of my compound, getting prepared to leave the house, when my landlady accosted me and we were discussing.
“Suddenly, a black SUV with tinted glasses slowly drove past us. If you know where I am living, you will know that erosion is a problem there.
“So after my compound, you will meet just one more compound and then you meet a dead end, where erosion cut off the road.
“As the vehicle drove by, my landlady started calling the driver of the vehicle to tell them that the road where they were headed had been cut off by erosion. I told my landlady to leave them, that once they get to the bad spot, they will come back.
“We were still discussing when we heard gunshots. We all ran into the compound, and the same vehicle drove past and went away.”
“When the dust settled, it turned out that it was a boy who sold beer in front of the next compound that they shot dead. That experience messed up my Sunday, and I didn’t go out any longer,” he further narrated.
On the next day, which was Monday, one person was also reportedly gunned down in Awka.
Within the week, there were also unverified stories of secret killings, but on Saturday, two more youths were reportedly gunned down.
One happened around Emma Nnaemeka Street, and his assailants cut off one of his hands and made away with it.
On Sunday too, just as this reporter was packaging this report, news filtered in that two persons have also been gunned down in cult related killings.
Beyond cult killings which seems to have defied solution from government, Awka indigenes and security agencies, kidnapping has become a major fear in Awka, and other parts of the state.
In what looked like a brazen show of daredevilry, over four cases of kidnapping were registered in Anambra State in one day, last Saturday.
Our correspondent gathered that at about 2pm on Saturday, gunmen operating in a black Sienna vehicle stopped a lone driver of a Lexus 350 SUV at gunpoint and ordered him down from his car and into theirs.
The incident was captured in amateur footage that later went viral.
One of the gunmen, who was hooded, took to the wheels of the victim’s car and drove behind his gang members, while they shot into the air sporadically to instill fear and then escaped.
Sources said the incident happened a little away from Nnamdi Azikiwe University back gate.
A source from the same area said shortly after, and without fear of being arrested, the same men in the same car trailed another occupant of a Lexus 350 salon, black in colour and picked him without challenge.
The source said unlike the first operation where they shot in the air to instill fear in the people of the area, this time they leisurely drove away after picking the victim, without a shot, while abandoning the victim’s vehicle on the road.
Two other incidents that happened on the same Saturday at night were at Oraukwu and Nimo communities, respectively.
“In Oraukwu, the man was trailed and abducted, and his Lexus 350 SUV abandoned on the road, while in the Nimo incident, a petrol station owner who was said to be driving home with one of his petrol attendants was accosted by gunmen.
“The petrol attendant, a young man was shot dead and his master, who is the owner of the petrol station was abducted and taken to an unknown location,” an indigene of the state who preferred to remain anonymous told NewsNow.
While many are blaming the police for the insecurity, some have dumped the blame on the doorstep of the governor.
Former governorship candidate of the state, Mr Valentine Ozigbo, while reacting to the level of insecurity in the state said Soludo had failed the state.
He lamented that there were actually 10 cases on Saturday.
Ozigbo said: “Anambra is no longer at ease. From Awka through Ekwulobia to Ihiala, it is the same story of abductions of citizens.
“To therefore say the security architecture in Anambra has collapsed is to state the very obvious.
“Yesterday’s (Saturday) 10 separate abductions across the state speak volumes of the sorry state of security in Anambra.
“They include two each in Ifite Awka and Agulu-Adazi-Oraukwu Road; one in Nimo, two along Ichida-Neni-Igboukwu axis; one along Afor Nkpor Road and an attempted kidnap case around E dey Work, Nnewi Road.
“While the state burns, Prof Chukwuma Soludo is busy harassing poor market women and drivers in the name of tax and revenue collection.
“Ndi Anambra are tired of excuses and name calling. The current situation is dire and demands urgent and immediate action.
“Let Soludo come off his high horse and apply a solution. I call on Soludo to drop all pretences and do the needful which is ensuring the security of those under his care. Anambra is broken and needs serious mending.”
Another former governorship candidate and a chieftain of Labour Party, Mr Oseloka Obaze during a strategy meeting on Sunday in Awka with members of his political group, Team OHO, also lamented that Anambra under Soludo had broken irretrievably.
He said: “As regards our home state, Anambra, we thought 2014 to 2022 (under Willie Obiano) was bad; but things have gotten worse since 2021 (under Soludo).
“There is no solution in sight. Anambra was broken and needed to be fixed. Despite high promises of Dubai and Taiwan, Anambra has regressed in terms of security, quality of life and good governance.
“The present leadership, despite all pretenses, is not living up to their promises; and must be voted out.”
On his part, a private individual in the state, Mr Tony Okafor rather urged Soludo to immediately put his security vote to good use and bring solution to the teething problem of insecurity in the state.
He said: “The escalating insecurity in Anambra State demands immediate and decisive action from the state governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo. We urge him to utilize his security votes to address this crisis.
“Past governors have set a precedent, utilizing security funds to procure vital equipment and vehicles for law enforcement agencies.
“Anambra State residents cry out for protection and reassurance. The governor must harness his security votes to bolster law enforcement presence; enhance intelligence gathering capabilities; support community policing initiatives: provide resources for swift and effective response and rescue operations.
“Soludo’s leadership and resolve are being tested. We urge him to rise to the occasion, utilize his security votes and other resources, and restore peace to Anambra State.
“The people’s trust and safety depend on it. Let us unite in demanding a safer Anambra, where citizens can live without fear.”
Another indigene of the state, Mr Lawrence Ibemesi, who resides in Awka has a different view.
He thinks the criminals, especially cultists were taking advantage of the exit of former police commissioner, Mr Aderemi Adeoye and the newness of CP Enaghe Obono Itam to do what they couldn’t do previously.
He said: “We don’t know what is happening in Awka any longer. Security people need to sit up because we can no longer understand these killings and kidnappings here and there.
“I think this is happening because Aderemi Adeoye is no longer here. I don’t know who the new Commissioner of Police is, so I can’t tell what his capacity is.
“But I know how Adeoye fought cultism in Awka, including some very prominent people who were aiding them.
“At some point, he even arrested a prominent indigene of this town. I don’t know this new commissioner, and I haven’t heard much of him, so I think the criminal elements are using the opportunity of the exit of Adeoye to now do what they couldn’t do previously.”
Dangerous trend of stealing corpses
In Awka particularly, most of the youths who are felled daily for cult related activities don’t get the opportunity of a funeral any longer.
A source told NewsNow that the usual confiscation of corpses of dead cultists by police has caused families to devise new strategies.
“All these young people that are killed daily don’t get the opportunity of a funeral. What is happening is that once a youth is killed, their cult members or members of the family quickly rush and take away the corpse, dig a shallow grave and bury them immediately.
“That is why sometimes, police don’t even have records of some of these killings.
“They do this because failure to do so, the police will confiscate the corpse in the guise of conducting investigation and that may just be the end. It is a dangerous trend, but families have no option,” the source said.
Reacting to the news of kidnappings, the state police command in a press release on Sunday confirmed the kidnap at Ifite, of an unidentified SUV driver on Saturday afternoon.
The state police command’s spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga in the release said: “The Commissioner of Police Anambra State, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam states that efforts are ongoing to arrest the assailants and rescue the victims of the abduction.
“Police responding team recovered the victims’ vehicles and has emplaced Joint Security Measures/Operational positioning to forestall such or related incidents in the State.”
He, however, kept mum on other cases of kidnapping that happened on the same day.
When NewsNow enquired about cult killings in Awka, Ikenga denied knowledge of any.
He called on this reporter to come forward with evidence of the killings.