Video: Anambra gov reveals 99.9% of arrested criminals are Igbo youths, not Fulani herdsmen

Abdullateef Fowewe

Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has stated that nearly all criminals and kidnappers arrested in the state are Igbo youths, with no involvement from Fulani herdsmen.

Video link: https://x.com/dailyeconews/status/1942609034898448894?s=61

Speaking on the escalating insecurity in Anambra, Soludo emphasised that 99.9% of those apprehended are of Igbo origin, many of whom are non-indigenes of Anambra but from the South-East region.

Soludo described the criminal activities as “lucrative criminality” driven by kidnapping, which is highly profitable in Anambra, the richest state in the Southeast.

He noted, “Kidnapping for ransom has quickly become the most lucrative criminal enterprise better than drug trafficking or oil bunkering”.

He further clarified, “They are not unknown gunmen—99.9% of all the people that we have caught are Igbos. There is no one invading from somewhere else”.

The governor condemned the misuse of the Biafran struggle as a cover for organized crime, stating that criminal gangs exploit the movement’s name to justify their actions, including armed robbery and cultism.

He also highlighted his administration’s robust security initiatives, including Operation Udo Ga Chi and the establishment of the Agunechemba vigilante group, aimed at dismantling criminal camps and restoring peace.

Soludo urged criminals to surrender and take advantage of the amnesty window his government has opened, warning that the state is determined to make Anambra one of the safest states in Nigeria.