Anambra State Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo has said the release of Nnamdi Kanu may not address growing insecurity in Nigeria’s South-east.
According to Punch newspaper, Mr Soludo spoke during Tuesday’s press briefing at the Governor’s Lodge in Amawbia.
Mr Kanu, facing terrorism charges at the Federal High Court in Abuja, is the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
IPOB is a group leading the agitation for an independent state of Biafra, which it wants carved out from the South-east and some parts of South-south Nigeria
The IPOB leader has been in detention since he was repatriated to Nigeria from Kenya in June 2021 under controversial circumstances.
Many Igbo leaders have repeatedly called for the release of the IPOB leader on the basis that his freedom would end insecurity in the South-east.
However, during the press briefing on Tuesday, Mr Soludo said the release of the IPOB leader might not end insecurity in the region.
The governor explained that the hoodlums behind frequent attacks in the South-east were criminals who had hijacked the Biafra struggle and are now hiding under the agitation and Mr Kanu’s name to perpetrate violence.
He contended that these hoodlums, operating under the guise of agitation, had embraced “lucrative criminality,” engaging in armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism, and idolatry.
Mr Soludo maintained that their activities have nothing to do with the genuine liberation struggle, stating 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,” he stated.
The governor 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 organised criminal gangs.
“They hide in forests, kidnapping innocent citizens for ransom, and they justify their atrocities under the pretext of Biafra.”
He revealed that over 99 per cent of criminals arrested in Anambra in the last two years were Igbos, with more than 70 per cent being non-indigenes of the state.
Mr Soludo regretted that some communities were shielding criminals behind insecurity in the South-east.
The governor said insecurity in the region was sustained because some locals perceive security agencies as enemies and criminals as freedom fighters.
“Our people know these criminals. They are our brothers, cousins, and neighbours.
“It’s unfortunate that in some communities, people contribute food to sustain these criminals hiding in the forests. How do you fight insecurity when people see criminals as heroes and the police as the enemy?” he said.
