By Mick Oseji, Asaba
Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, says idolatry is the fastest growing religion in the Southeast geopolitical zone of Nigeria.
Soludo also reveals that the idolatrous practice is what feeds the spate of ” kidnapping for ransom,” the region’s “most lucrative enterprise, even more lucrative than drugs and oil.”
The Governor lamented that the malaise may not end soon in a culture that celebrates wealth without craft, stressing that even the kidnappers are celebrated today in Igboland.
He spoke as he launched a new security operation codenamed: Operation Udo Ga Achi, which means ‘peace shall reign,’ in the state on Saturday to tackle kidnappings, killings, car snatching, and other crimes.
Soludo promised a N5million reward to any whistleblower, who will provide information that will lead to the arrest of any kidnapper.
He also unveiled the state’s new security agency; Agunechemba, which he said comprised over 2,000 operatives drawn from the various security agencies and disbursed about 200 vehicles to various security agencies to strengthen their operations.
The vehicles included Sienna Vehicles and Hilux trucks.
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 been 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 victims 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 drugs and oil. For every one naira reported as payment for ransom, five to six naira was 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 a N5million,” Soludo said.
The governor noted that people had initially linked the criminals to the Biafra struggle, while many others who watched events shortly before the 2021 governorship election attributed it to politics.
According to him, criminalities have nothing to do with politics or even the Biafra struggle, but a money-making enterprise.
He added that security agencies are doing their best in the state, and he will ensure that they function properly by providing logistical support for a full war against the criminals.
“Security forces are doing their best to combat these, 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 the kinetic and non-kinetic approach 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 listed Lilu, Mbosi and Isseke as communities that have become notorious ostensibly because of the criminalities and activities of gunmen.
He 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.”
