By Vincent Ujumadu
After more than five years of abandoning their communities due to insecurity fuelled by the activities of separatist agitators, normalcy is beginning to return in the affected areas.
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The most affected communities are Azia, Orsumoghu, Lilu, Isekke, Uli, and Ihiala,all in Ihiala Local Government Area, as well as Ukpor, Utu, Amichi in Nnewi South Local Government Area.
Other affected places include Owerre Ezukala and Umunze, in Orumba South Local Government Area, as well as parts of Ogwu Ikpele in Ogbaru.
While the problem lasted, hoodlums who were later to be classified as unknown gunmen, held sway and took over the communities. Forests in the various communities became the den of the gunmen from where they caused havoc by killing and maiming people, who dared to step out on Mondays which they declared as sit – at – home days in sympathy for the continued detention of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
For years, such activities as marriage, burial and chieftaincy ceremonies, were never held in the affected areas, just as churches, markets and farms were deserted. Most of the residents relocated to communities outside the troubled local government areas where they conducted burial ceremonies and weddings.
Policemen became endangered species, while their stations became targets as the gunmen frequently attacked and burnt the security facilities, killing some operatives in the process. The gunmen later added kidnapping of travellers and demanding huge sums of money as ransom. There to and graduate’s to allowing people to bury their dead on payment of fees, which were usually humongous.
By the time the election that brought Professor Chukwuma Soludo into office took place in 2021, most of the communities in Ihiala were no -go areas as non state actors had virtually taken over. In fact, election in Ihiala Local Government Area had to be postponed, and even when it eventually took place after the deployment of massive security operatives to the area, the turnout was very low.
Even on the day of the election, gunmen attacked Ihiala Local Government headquarters where collation was to take place and security operatives had to up their game to be able to rout the hoodlums.
Expectedly, insecurity in the state then affected the overall voting in that election, as less than 30% of registered voters in the state participated.
Worried by his ugly experience during the campaigns before that election, Professor Soludo, who also lost two of his police orderlies during a town hall meeting in his Isuofia Community, was determined from Day One to tackle insecurity. Indeed, he made it a priority because, as he said, no development can take place in an atmosphere of insecurity.
Soludo’s emotional speech
Delivering his inaugural address after his swearing in at the old Government House in Awka, Soludo said: “A fundamental existential threat to our state and indeed Igboland is that of peace building and law and order. We can’t build this homeland by turning the sword against each other. Ndi Anambra love their homeland, but the recent upsurge in criminality poses a great threat.
“My heart bleeds to see and hear about our youths dying in senseless circumstances. Every criminal gang—kidnappers, wicked murderers, arsonists, rapists, thieves— all now claim to be freedom fighters. Criminality cannot be sugarcoated. This must stop. All the stakeholders must review both the narrative and the action plan.
“To IPOB/ESN, the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), as well as the disparate armed groups in the forests, it is time to interrogate both the purpose and means of your campaign. To the politicians playing politics with the insecurity, you are riding a tiger. The current trajectory is a road to desolation. Let us get around the table and talk. Let the elite in the closet come out, and let’s debate our future and forge a consensus.
“The conspiracy of silence by the elite and some community leaders must end. If you see something, say or do something! Securing Igboland and Nigeria must be our collective responsibility. Let those in the forests come out, surrender their guns and let’s work together to rehabilitate and empower you to contribute positively to the peace and prosperity of our homeland. A significant part of our state economy is powered by artisans, keke drivers, vulcanizer, hairdressers, cart pushers, petty traders, bricklayers, women frying akara, and all those who depend upon daily toil and sweat to feed their families.
“Every day there is a “sit at home”, these poor masses lose an estimated N19.6 billion in Anambra alone. Due to the protracted breakdown of law and order, businesses are relocating outside Igboland, with growing unemployment, and traders who used to come to shop in Onitsha, Aba etc are going elsewhere. Who is losing? By forcing our children—the future of Igboland—to stay at home instead of being in school, while even the critically sick people (including pregnant women) cannot go to hospital, we harm our future.
“I hereby challenge any of the disparate groups that claims that it is not part of the senseless killings and kidnappings to step out and show leadership by joining hands with us to do something about it. If you love our homeland, there is no place for bloodshed.”
Continuing, he added: “My mother died during the civil war; our last born, Chukwuemeka died during the war; my father bore a bullet inside him for years; my elder brother – at 16, was in the ‘Boys Company’. At 8, I became the “man of the house”, with all the men at the war front. My uncles, cousins, etc, died during the war.
“This is 2022, and there are certainly far better ways to protest than shedding the blood of the innocent or resorting to criminality. That is why I call on all of us today to join hands with me to execute the real agenda—a livable and prosperous homeland of opportunities and jobs for our youth while maximizing the benefits of a united Nigeria/Africa.
“We have heard every genuine agitation for fairness, justice, equity and equality in the Nigerian Federation, but we refuse to turn our homeland into a crime scene and all manners of criminality. No group has ever succeeded in any struggle in history by turning the sword against themselves.”
The coming of Agunechemba
In spite of the governor’s emotion – laden speech, the non state actors continued to constantly put the entire state on edge, particularly on Mondays when they enforce sit – at -home, with the attendant human and economic losses. It was therefore not surprising when Soludo decided to tackle insecurity in the state headlong by launching the now famous Agunechemba security outfit.
Since they began operation in all the 179 communities in the state, crime, including kidnapping and cultism, have reduced considerably. Although a few of the operatives sometimes overstep their bounds, most residents in Anambra State have admitted that the introduction of that security outfit was a masterstroke towards fighting insecurity, which is why they are giving the governor enormous support to ensure his re-election.
Life returns to communities
As a result of the success being achieved by Agunechemba across the state, the hitherto deserted communities in the state have once again, become beehive of activities.
Take the case of Orsumoghu and Isekke in Ihiala, for instance, the youths who ran away, have been clearing the roads, churches, markets and other public places, commending Soludo for making it possible for them to reclaim their homes.
For the first time in three years, church services took place without fear that the bad boys would rush in at the middle of the service with guns to kidnap people.
Also for the first time in many years, new yam festival was celebrated in all the communities, with masquerades entertaining people. The diaspora people have also been sending messages that with the return of security, they will be returning home to celebrate Christmas and New Year with their people in Anambra State.
As Uche Nwaka, a trader at the Azia Market said, “ I never believed that I will step my foot on Azia soil again after all that happened. Soludo has indeed brought back life to our people. Thank God I have my voters card.”
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