Soludo: We've reclaimed 8 LGAs under insurgents

The Anambra State government has reclaimed eight among LGAs that were formerly under the control of armed criminal gangs posing as separatist agitators.

Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo disclosed this at the launch of 2000 workforce tagged Operation ‘Udo Ga-Achi’,l (Peace shall Prevail), a joint security intervention force, on Saturday in Awka.

The Governor said the LGAs were liberated 12 months ago by various security agencies, including the Nigeria Police, DSS, Army, Navy, Airforce, Civil defence, Vigilante anf other security forces operating in the State, which has 21 LGAs.

According to him, “Within 12 months, we recovered the eight local governments under total siege. 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.

Soludo also confirmed the arrest of over 3,000 suspected criminals in Upper Iweka area and environs by the joint security personnel.

“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”, he said.