Soludo Getting Rid of Criminals in Anambra to Restore Reputation, Values – Mefor

By Praise Chinecherem

Anambra state government has reiterated its commitment to fighting all forms of crime and criminality in the State through the instrumentality of the Agunechemba security initiative.

Commissioner for Information, Dr Law Mefor gave the assurance at Stakeholders Partnership Town Hall Meeting, organized by the Anambra Police Stakeholders Partnership Forum (PSPF) and facilitated by RULAAC with support from the Rule of Law and Anticorruption RoLAC 2 Program being implemented by the International IDEA.

The TownHall is focused on the vital themes of Promoting Human Rights, Law Enforcement Accountability, and Effective Criminal Justice Administration in Anambra State.

Mefor expressed joy over visible reduction of crime in the state since the launch of Udo-ga-achi, praying for its sustenance.

He urged those he described as crime enablers to desist forthwith or be ready to face the wrath of the law, vowing that the government would not rest on its oars until criminality was brought to standstill in the state.

He said, “Anambra now has a very robust legal framework of combating crime unlike what we had before.

“Since the new Anambra State Homeland Security Law was signed into force on January 18, we’ll all agree that the state is witnessing calmness, which was first echoed by the new CP through his celebration of one full month of no gunshots both from the police and the criminals.

“We want this to culminate in one whole full year. We must have to sustain this efforts.

“Regrettably, there are crime enablers that if you don’t deal with, you can’t address insecurity adequately. For example, there are those behind the scene fueling criminality, including Okeite and those who preach prosperity without hardwork. Killing one to make another rich is criminal.

“May I inform those accusing the government of holding those arrested for months without trial that their detention order is renewed every two weeks. We’ll keep doing this until we get all the evidence we need to either free them or escort them to prison. We won’t stop until the prison doors are closed behind them so we can have peace in the State.

“Besides, we have deployed all the necessary technology, including AI driven Command and Control center to ensure the security architecture don’t disappoint.

“The beauty of our security initiative is the fact that for the first time our local vigilante and other federal security agencies are working together. With such high level of cooperation, it’s far more effective and successful in crime fighting.

“Information and the intelligence we receive from our call center is treated with utmost confidentiality. So you don’t have any reason to fear in providing information to us.”

Mefor added, “The essence of cleaning the state from criminals is to not only to recover the soul of the state, but also the reputation and societal core values of wisdom, hardwork and fear of God our people are known for.

“Our new security initiative is going beyond kinetic and non-kinetic components to even delving into social reformation. Those who claim to manufacture Odeshi, we’ll taste them with our own guns. After confirming its authenticity, we’ll attach you to our Agunechemba so you’ll become useful to us.

“Then for those who claim they manufacture Okeite and it truly produces money, we’ll attach you to our revenue agencies so you can start generating money for us. So we don’t need to be struggling unecessarily. All these must be proved, otherwise, you’ll go to jail.”

Director, Institute for Peace, Security and Development Studies of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Prof Jaja Nwanegbo hailed the governor for the security initiative but called for close and steady monitoring of their operations.

According to him, inability to checkmate their activities could result to their engagement in illegalities, unprofessional conduct, including extortions, intimidation and harassment of innocent citizens.

“There’s need for strengthening of the security outfit, including setting up tracking devices, situation rooms and others for effective monitoring and evaluation of their conducts in order to curtail their excesses as well as empower them to secure the State effectively,” he added.

Also speaking, former Nigeria’s Consul-General to South Africa, Ambassador Uche Ajulu-Okeke called on Governor Chukwuma Soludo to set up standing Police/Community Relations Committees in all Local Governments of the State to monitor and report human rights abuse and support the work of the Police to ensure a crime-free state.

“Such Committees will comprise Community PG’s, Police DPO’s, Women and Youth leaders, among others.

“Seminars and Workshops, such as this, can also be organized by the standing committees on a regular basis to imbue a sense of trust and inclusion between the various stakeholders,” she said.

On criminal justice system, Ajulu-Okeke urged the Governor to employ more magistrates and legal personnel, establish mobile courts in crime prone areas such as busy markets and traffic prone spots, as well as free legal aid clinics in all local governments.

This, according to her, would increase access to justice for indigenes and rural communities in the state.

Describing prison reform as crucial aspect of crime landscape in the state, the ex-Consular General called on the Governor to submit a Death Penalty and Public Executions bill to the State House of Assembly.

“The country’s wide escalation of crime is exacerbated by the absence of the death penalty and the routine recycling of death row criminal by politicians who use them for nefarious electoral activities.

“The Anambra State Civil Service should reestablish the position of Hangmen, now an obsolete cadre in the federal Civil service. No society can exist peaceably without the emplacement of a stable sanctions, punishment and reward system.

“This would serve as a great deterrence and emplace a modicum of restraint no matter whose axe is gored or highly placed the individual. “A stich in time saves nine.”

“Mr Governor should also consider establishing a criminal justice situation room in the office of the Attorney General with direct access to his office for crime data collection and analysis to inform, guide and proffer policy decisions, project and identify trends, foster tracking and measure the effectiveness of interventions.

“While not berating Agunechemba and Udo-Gachi outfits, molding them to better suit and serve the needs of the people and avoiding their metamorphosing into another layer of oppressive policing would be more beneficial to all.”
ATraditional Ruler of Olumbanasa, Anambra West Local Government Area who doubles as Secretary General, Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council, Igwe Pius Omachonu called for impartiality on part of those with responsibility of dispensing justice.

“We must deliver justice as traditional institutions. As leaders, we must ensure justice is your watchword. Regrettably, personal integrity is lacking in the society today.

“We therefore urge others whose primary responsibility is to dispense justice to do it with utmost impartiality,” he added.