By Enyinnaya Appolos
I firmly believe that the escalating insecurity in the Southeast has become one of the greatest threats to the region’s economic survival and social stability. There is a real and imminent danger that the region could face near-collapse if nothing is done. Rather than confronting the stark reality, addressing the root causes, and seeking sustainable solutions against the criminal elements that may not spare us if we continue to stand idly by, many have resorted to ethnicizing the crisis. Instead of taking decisive action, we point accusing fingers at fellow Igbos or blame external forces while ignoring the criminals within.
Recall that in 2022, Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State, while speaking on national television, said:
“They are plain criminals, nothing else. They are not unknown gunmen. They are unknown… I can tell you that we have been catching quite a lot of them, and they know that something is happening and that Anambra is not safe for them. Never again. Let me be clear about this. 100 percent of all the people that we have caught are Igbos. There is no one who has somebody invading from somewhere. It is 100 percent Igbos on Igbos.”
We must face the truth: the insecurity in the Southeast is not caused by outsiders but by people within our own communities. Yes, we can blame the government for various forms of neglect, but the reality is that criminal elements masquerading as agitators, the manipulation of social media to spread propaganda, and the actions of opportunistic politicians and misguided sympathizers have plunged our region into chaos. If we truly want to reclaim the Southeast, we must stop shifting blame and take collective responsibility for the crisis we find ourselves in.
The criminals committing atrocities in Igbo land are from Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo states. They are the ones who invited their criminal partners from outside the region to join them in destroying our land. Let’s be honest—an outsider cannot come into our house to steal or commit a crime without insider partners.
One of the most alarming aspects of this crisis is the surge in commercial kidnapping. Initially, these criminals masked their activities under the guise of “freedom fighting,” and many of us hailed the so-called “unknown gunmen” as warriors of a just cause. But over time, it became clear that they had no ideological motivation. Their only goal was financial gain, and their targets were often fellow Igbo people—businessmen, government officials, traditional rulers, and even ordinary citizens.
The situation has deteriorated to the point where many in our communities and towns live in constant fear of abduction. People are kidnapped in their homes, on the streets, and even in churches, with ransoms ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions of naira. Families have been forced to sell properties or drain their life savings just to secure the release of loved ones. The most heartbreaking part? In many cases, even after paying a huge ransom, the victims are still killed by their captors.
We cannot continue to ignore the fact that this criminal enterprise is being sustained by a network of informants, logistics providers, and financiers who live among us. The sooner we accept this, the faster we can address it. These criminals are not strangers—they are part of our communities.
The insecurity in the Southeast has also been fueled by political actors who saw an opportunity to exploit the crisis for their own gain. Instead of condemning the criminals terrorizing our region, some politicians provided them with subtle endorsements, hoping to gain popularity among radical elements. Others used the insecurity to discredit their political opponents or to advance their electoral ambitions.
But this reckless political gamble has come at a great cost. The glorification of criminality in the name of political maneuvering has emboldened those who now believe they can hold the region hostage without consequences. As the situation spiraled out of control, it became clear that this crisis was never about self-determination—it was about money, power, and control.
Amid the chaos, Soludo has taken decisive and commendable action. He recently unveiled the Anambra Homeland Security Law 2025 and launched a 2,000-man special security operation codenamed Udo Ga-Achi.
He also announced the establishment of Agunechemba, a new vigilante architecture at the community and local government levels, and the deployment of technology, including a best-in-class tracking system, a command-and-control system, and AI-powered surveillance cameras to enhance security management.
Since assuming office, Soludo has refused to buy into the propaganda that these criminals are fighting for a just cause. Instead, he has called the situation what it is—a breakdown of law and order caused by criminals masquerading as agitators.
Under his leadership, security operations have intensified in Anambra, leading to the dismantling of several criminal hideouts. Communities that were once under siege are beginning to breathe again, and residents are regaining confidence in the government’s efforts to restore peace. While there is still a long way to go, the results so far have proven that decisive action is the only way forward.
But Soludo cannot do it alone. Anambra shares boundaries with Imo, Abia, and Enugu states, and there is a high possibility that criminals fleeing Anambra’s security crackdown will regroup in neighboring states. This is why the governors of the other Southeast states must urgently come together and adopt a unified approach to tackling insecurity.
Silence and inaction will only embolden the criminals, allowing them to spread further across our region. This is the time for all Southeast governors to show courage and leadership, just as Soludo has done.
Perhaps the most economically devastating impact of insecurity in the Southeast is the criminally enforced Monday sit-at-home. What began as a political protest has now been hijacked by armed gangs who impose the illegal directive through violence and intimidation.
For years, businesses have remained closed every Monday, schools have been shut, and transportation has been paralyzed. The economic toll has been massive—billions of naira lost, investments discouraged, and livelihoods shattered. While some initially supported the sit-at-home as an expression of solidarity, it is now clear that the criminals enforcing it do not care about the well-being of the Igbo people.
This illegal order must end. There is no justification for forcing an entire region into economic paralysis. The same people who claim to be fighting for the Southeast are the ones destroying its economy. No society can thrive when businesses shut down at the whim of criminals. It is time for all stakeholders—governors, traditional rulers, business leaders, and civil society—to unite and put an end to the sit-at-home menace once and for all.
The insecurity in the Southeast is not an Igbo struggle—it is an Igbo crisis, and only we, the Igbo, can solve it. Instead of wasting time blaming external forces, we must focus on the criminals among us who are inflicting terror on our people. Instead of glorifying crime under the cover of agitation, we must stand against those who seek to profit from our collective suffering.
Governor Soludo has shown the way forward, but he cannot do it alone. This is the time for unity, decisive action, and courage. The future of the Southeast depends on it.
Afo, Saturday, February 8, 2025
