Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State doubts the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, from prison will stop the growing insecurity in the South-east region of Nigeria.
Soludo made his doubts known on Tuesday during a press briefing at the Governor’s Lodge in Anambra, despite many Igbo leaders having repeatedly called for Kanu’s release with the belief that his freedom would end insecurity in the Southeast.
According to the Anambra State governor, the hoodlums behind frequent attacks in the South-east are criminals who have hijacked the Biafra struggle and are now hiding under the agitation and Kanu’s name to perpetrate evil.
“These hoodlums, operating under the guise of agitation, have embraced lucrative criminality, engaging in armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism, and idolatry,” Soludo said.
He stated that the activities of these hoodlums have nothing in common with the genuine liberation struggle of Biafra, lamenting that such crimes are purely driven by greed and lawlessness.
“Kanu and IPOB have repeatedly dissociated themselves from these criminals. Even if Nnamdi Kanu is released today, I’m not sure they would listen to him because what they now pursue is wealth, not liberation,” Soludo said.
“They (criminals) have become enemies of the people they claim to protect. Who are they fighting for when they kidnap and kill their own people? The so-called agitators have transformed into organized criminal gangs.
“They hide in forests, kidnapping innocent citizens for ransom, and they justify their atrocities under the pretext of Biafra.”
According to Governor Soludo, no fewer than 99 per cent of criminals arrested in Anambra in the last two years were Igbos, with more than 70Soludo, in his address, expressed regrets that some communities were protecting criminals who are known to be behind insecurity in the Southeast.
per cent being non-indigenes of the state.
“Our people know these criminals. They are our brothers, cousins, and neighbours. It is unfortunate that in some communities, people contribute food to sustain these criminals hiding in the forests,” Soludo lamented.
“How do you fight insecurity when people see criminals as heroes and the police as the enemy?” he asked.
Kanu, who is currently facing terrorism charges at the Federal High Court in Abuja, has been in detention since he was repatriated to Nigeria from Kenya in June 2021 by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari under controversial circumstances.
