News

The seismic insecurity in Anambra State

Published

2 years ago

October 16, 2024

Whirlwindnews

Chekwube Nzomiwu

Yet again, the insecurity in Anambra State claimed three precious lives last week. The deceased who were members of the crew of Supersport were killed when their vehicle ran into an ambush by gunmen at Iseke, a border town of Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State to Orlu, Imo state. Luckily, security operatives rescued six members of the crew, while one is yet to be accounted for, according to reports in the media. The dead were identified as a cameraman, police officer and driver.

They were on their way to Uyo, Akwa Ibom State to cover the AFCON qualifying match between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and their Libyan counterpart, when the gunmen struck. This incident occurred on October 8, 2024, about three days before the October 11 AFCON qualifier, which the Nigerian side won by a lone goal.

This latest attack once more brought to the front burner, the terrifying level of insecurity in Anambra State under the administration of Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo. Four days before the Iseke incident involving the Supersport crew, the police foiled an attempt to kidnap a foreign expatriate working for a construction company at Ogbunka, Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State. The expatriate, a Syrian national narrowly escaped abduction, but two of his police guards were shot by the gunmen. The police spokesman in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga who confirmed this report in a statement, said the injured policemen were in stable condition.

Two days prior to the Ogbunka incident, unidentified gunmen killed two policemen at Uruagu Nnewi community in Nnewi North Local Government Area of the State. According to media reports, the attackers hurled an impoverished explosive device at the police team and it exploded immediately, killing the two policemen instantly at the spot.

Between August and September, gunmen attacked three police stations in Anambra State, namely the Divisional Police Station Oba and Nnobi Police Station, both in Idemili South Local Government Area and Nnewi Police Station. The attacks claimed the lives of policemen. Last year, nine members of a United Nations entourage, including policemen, were brutally murdered by gunmen at Ogbaru Local Government while on a visit to an erosion site in the area.

Besides the remote areas, the insecurity in Anambra State extended to Awka, the capital city and its adjoining communities, which have all become hotbeds for bloody clashes between rival cult groups. In Awka in particular, people are lynched, maimed, butchered and killed in broad daylight. While the media reports some of these gory incidents, many go unreported.

Some people would argue though that insecurity is a national malady. However, the situation in Anambra State has assumed a very dangerous dimension that some parts of the State are now being called Sambisa, after Sambisa Forest, the main base of the Boko Haram insurgents in the North East.

More worrisome is that the Soludo administration appears to have been overwhelmed by the insecurity, which is currently rocking the State like a volcanic eruption. Rather than confront the seismic security situation bedeviling his domain, Governor Soludo, the Chief Security Officer of Anambra State who receives almost one billion Naira monthly as security vote, keeps looking for a scapegoat to blame for the insecurity in the State.

In February this year, he said that the fight against insecurity in Anambra State has been hindered by the infiltration of vigilante operatives by criminals. To me, such an excuse, coming from a Governor who took an oath to strive to preserve the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, contained in Chapter II of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), sounds ridiculous. Under the aforementioned chapter, Section 14 (2) (b) clearly states that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government;”

Therefore, it is the duty of the government to safeguard lives and property in Anambra State and not the vigilante operatives who are not recognized by the Nigerian law. If Professor Soludo has lost confidence in the vigilante operatives, the constitutionally recognised security apparatuses of the Nigerian State, such as the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and even the Military, are at his disposal.

The excuse that criminals infiltrated the vigilante operatives cannot be an alibi for the Governor’s inability to secure the state. The vigilante operatives are meant to complement the efforts of the security agencies of the Nigerian State who are better trained and equipped in handling security matters. So, what’s the fuss about the infiltration of the vigilante groups?

Soludo should please swallow his pride and learn from his nearby counterparts, Peter Mba of Enugu State and Alex Otti of Abia State who have both exhibited the political will and capacity to confront the security challenges on ground when they assumed office. In Enugu for instance, Mba has empowered the police and the military with the necessary equipment, including vehicles, operational and communication gadgets, drones and other advanced technology, needed to confront the insecurity in Enugu State. Surveillance cameras have been mounted all over the Enugu capital city, to monitor the movement of people and vehicles in the city.

To attract both indigenous and foreign investors, security is very paramount. The efforts of Governor Peter Mba in the area of security have started yielding results with the influx of investors into Enugu State, to revamp moribund industries, such as the Sunrise Flour Mills Enugu and Enugu United Palm Products Limited, Ibite Olo, Ezeagu Local Government Area of the State.

Unfortunately, rather than pay attention to the insecurity plaguing Anambra State, which his government used as an excuse for delaying local government election, Soludo appears to be obsessed with how to control the allocation coming to the 21 local government areas of the State from the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC). Having been obligated by the landmark judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria to conduct local government election, which he failed to do for over two and half years, he introduced a bill in the Anambra State House of Assembly, to compel the 21 councils to remit a portion of their allocation to a consolidated account controlled by the State Government. In spite of public outcry, the House of Assembly passed the bill, which is now awaiting the Governor’s assent. This is ludicrous, considering the fact that the Supreme Court granted the councils financial autonomy.

Quoting former Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, “the lack of local government autonomy potentially inhibits solutions as well as efforts by the federal and state governments towards addressing the nation’s security challenges.” This statement made by Lawan in an interview with State House Correspondents in Abuja in May last year, aptly corroborates scientific evidence from a research paper published in the International Journal of Public Administration and Management (IJPAMR) Volume 6. No. 4, 2021. Ubi and Akie in the paper titled, “Local Government System and Escalation of Insecurity in Nigeria, concluded that if the local government system functions at full capacity, rural people will be empowered, rural urban migration curbed, local economy enhanced, youths provided with direct and indirect jobs, and thus, they will not be given to crime, which triggers insecurity..”

I therefore expect Professor Soludo to live up to his billing as a distinguished Professor of Economics and a consummate public servant, having served at different times as the Chief Economic Adviser to the President, Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria and the de facto Minister of National Planning. He should quickly re-order his priorities by making the insecurity one of the focal points of his administration.

In conclusion, Soludo should allow the councils to enjoy the autonomy that they were granted by the Supreme Court, to enable them perform optimally. A functional local government will help to end the alarming insecurity in Anambra State.

Dr. Nzomiwu, communication scholar, media consultant and political scientist, is an indigene of Ozubulu in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State

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Crime

Police shun N500million bribe in N7.8 billion Lagos drug haul

Published

8 minutes ago

May 25, 2026

Whirlwindnews

“The suspect offered ₦500 million to the SPU commander in an attempt to make the team stand down and allow him to contact his associates to move the consignment elsewhere. The offer was rejected immediately and properly documented for further investigation.”

These were the exact words of Olohundare Jimoh Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), with which he detailed how operatives of the Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) scoffed at a N500million bribe to turn their eyes off the importation of a huge consignment of drugs imported into the country.

This was part of the details of a major breakthrough by the operatives after bursting a major drug trafficking syndicate in Lagos, which led to the seizure of suspected illicit drugs estimated at ₦7.8 billion and arresting several suspects, including the alleged kingpin.

In the operation, reportedly carried out by officers of the Special Protection Unit (SPU) in collaboration with divisional police detectives, the operatives, were said to have stormed a house in Mende, Maryland area of Lagos, following months of surveillance and intelligence gathering coordinated by the Zone 2 Headquarters.

The recovered drugs consisted of hundreds of bags of suspected Canadian Loud, allegedly stored in the residence of the prime suspect, Jimoh, said disclosing that the suspect was apprehended on May 19 after weeks of strategic monitoring by operatives.

Offering further details, he said the operation was executed with technical support and guidance from the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, alongside coordinated efforts between the SPU and divisional police teams.

Jimoh revealed that during the operation, the suspect allegedly attempted to bribe the SPU commander with ₦500 million to compromise the mission and allow the movement of the drug consignment.

The AIG described the development as a reflection of the renewed professionalism and operational discipline being entrenched in the Force under the current policing strategy.

He noted that the success of the operation underscored the importance of deploying specialized police units alongside conventional divisional teams in tackling organized crime.

According to him, the operation demonstrated the effectiveness of rapid containment strategies, intelligence-led policing, and professional conduct among the operatives involved in the raid.

“Rapid containment was achieved as the Special Protection Unit worked with divisional teams to secure the perimeter and prevent escape or interference with evidence.

“The operation was intelligence-driven, following months of surveillance and technical monitoring before the raid was carried out.

“The immediate rejection and documentation of the bribe attempt also reflect the standard expected from redeployed personnel at the divisional level,” Jimoh added.

Reacting to the development, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, commended the operatives for their professionalism, saying the success of the operation validated the ongoing redeployment of personnel to divisions and units across Lagos and Ogun states.

The IGP noted: “Policing must be close to the people, and our specialized units must work side by side with divisional teams on the ground.

“The professionalism shown by the SPU commander in rejecting a ₦500 million bribe and following due procedure is the standard we expect. It shows that when you put your best foot forward at the grassroots, you get results and restore public trust.”

Disu further assured that the Force leadership would continue to reward integrity while holding officers accountable to the highest ethical standards.

Police authorities said exhibits recovered during the operation have been properly documented and will be tendered in court. The suspects are currently in custody while investigations continue to track down other members of the drug trafficking network.

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News

We’re sorry – pope *It’s a wound on the memory of the Church

Published

19 minutes ago

May 25, 2026

Whirlwindnews

Slavery is a wound on the memory of the Universal Church, Pope Leo XIV, said on Monday, as he issued a fresh apology over the participation of the the Catholic Church in the centuries-long delay in condemning slavery.

The pontiff stressed the position of the church after his predecessors had offered similar apologies, said: “For this, in the name of the Church, I sincerely ask for pardon.”

Writing in a major text that warned about “new forms of slavery” behind the digital economy, the joined John Paul II, who denounced slave trade in 1992 before issuing a sweeping request for forgiveness for historical injustices in 2000 and Pope Francis who also repeatedly denounced contemporary forms of slavery.

In his own vein, Pope Leo, pointed out that the Church owned slaves until the Middle Ages and it also advised European sovereigns on how to justify the enslavement of “infidels.”

He stressed in “Magnifica Humanitas” (Magnificent Humanity), a document focused primarily on the rise of artificial intelligence, that it was only in the 19th century that “a formal, absolute and universal condemnation of slavery was clearly articulated.”

Hear him: “It is true that past events cannot be judged anachronistically, as though the moral criteria that matured over time had always been available. Yet neither can we deny or diminish the delay with which both society and the Church came to denounce the scourge of slavery. This constitutes a wound in Christian memory, one from which we cannot consider ourselves detached.”

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News

‘Content creator’ lands in police net over ‘fake’ video on terrorist attacks

Published

1 hour ago

May 25, 2026

Whirlwindnews

Qowiy Oloyede, a resident of Oriya Sokoto road, Atan Ota, is currently telling operatives of the Ogun State Colice command, the reasons that pushed him into making a video suggesting that a part of the state was under attack of terrorists, knowing same to be fake.

Oloyede, reports say, dragged to the police on May 23 by one Ayinla Sodiq, who accused him of creating and sharing a misleading TikTok video falsely claiming that bandits had invaded the Atan Ota community..

Zagazola Makama, a counterinsurgency publication, which broke the news, said on immediately being questioning by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Oloyed, allegedly confessed to fabricating the video to gain followers on social media.

Apart from admitting that that he created the fake bandit attack content to gain followers and trend online, said in a video currently on social media the herder featured in the clip was a cattle rearer who usually grazed cows behind his shop and had initially refused to participate before eventually agreeing.

Oloyede, who also claimed he could neither read nor write, adding that his apprentice wrote the caption accompanying the video posted online, maintained that he had only produced and posted two similar videos, one on Monday and another on Wednesday.

The command, said to have recovered photographs and video evidence linked to the fake publication during preliminary investigation, added that the suspect would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Abeokuta, for further investigation, warning residents against spreading false information capable of causing panic and public disorder, and for the public to verify information before sharing content on social media.

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