Anambra State governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo has offered amnesty to criminals in the state, declaring that they have until the end of February 2025 to lay down their arms.

The governor also announced plans to launch a joint security operation to tackle insecurity in the state.

Soludo said the operation is codenamed ‘Operation Udo Ga Achi’, which means ‘Let Peace Reign’.

The governor who briefed journalists at the Anambra State Governor’s Lodge on Tuesday, said his government has identified armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism and touting as the principal problems causing insecurity in the state.

He said: “As for touting, the State Anti-touting Agency codenamed SASA is tackling that in Onitsha and they are doing quite well.

“When we came in as governor, about seven local government areas were in the grip of hoodlums, but we took on them head on and liberated all those communities.

“Today, we hear that a handful of some of those criminals earlier dislodged have now come together and have been terrorizing the state.

“We have had reports of people being kidnapped, and vehicles snatched, but in the coming days, we will launch Operation Udo Ga Achi. We have procured here 168 patrol vehicles which would be distributed to various security agencies.

“Apart from the support we will be given the security agencies, we are also deploying ICT in the fight against insecurity.

“We are calling on criminal elements who would want to partake in our amnesty programme to come forward and surrender themselves and their arms. We are giving them from now to end of February to come and surrender and we will be ready to help them start life afresh.”

Speaking on the continuous incarceration of separatist leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and the fact that many of the criminals hide under the cover of his detention to perpetrate crime, Soludo insisted that indications have shown that what is happening is organized criminal enterprise and has nothing to do with Kanu’s detention.

He said: “I have been at the forefront of the call for the release of Kanu, I even said that in the worst case scenario, I was ready to keep him here at the Government House and produce him anytime he is needed.

“Part of the reason was that we really need to sit down, to interrogate this whole idea. But for people saying that the insecurity is because of his detention, I want to tell you that Nnamdi Kanu himself and IPOB, the organisation he leads, have made several press releases dissociating themselves from the kidnap for ransom and criminality that is ongoing.

“The truth of the matter is that criminals have now emerged, hordes of them organize themselves, using his (Kanu’s) name. I’m not so sure that even if he comes now and says stop that they will hear him. They have tasted blood and they will not stop. They go for kidnappings and they are making millions from it, so they will not stop.

“Imagine someone who is riding okada and they recruit him and he goes into the bush and all his life he has never had N100,000 at once and he joins the group and all of a sudden they do a successful kidnap operation and he gets one million or two from ransom. Tomorrow you think he will want to leave? In fact the one who tells him to leave the business will be his enemy.

“So the matter is much more complicated now and it is taking a life of its own. It is now lucrative business. All of them talking about agitation are just using that as a cover to get the sympathy of the people, especially those who are not informed. They present themselves as liberators. You are a liberator and you stay in the bush and you want us to believe you? They now add to it idolatry. The first thing they put in any town they go to is a massive shrine.”

The governor said henceforth, his government will begin to revoke lands of any community who harbour criminals. He added that members of such communities who give food or contribute money to take to them in the bush will be treated as collaborators.

He said: “Also, any house that is found to have harboured kidnappers will henceforth become the property of the government.”

[DailyPost]

The Edo State House of Assembly, on Monday, suspended all 18 local government chairmen and their vice chairmen for two months. 

The lawmakers further directed the leaders of the legislative arms in the councils to assume control of their administration during the suspension period. 

The decision followed the adoption of a motion moved by Isibor Adeh, representing Esan Northeast 1 Constituency, and seconded by Donald Okogbe of Akoko-Edo 2 Constituency. 

Governor Monday Okpebholo, in a petition dated November 16, 2024, titled “Insubordination and Gross Misconduct by the 18 Local Government Chairmen Over Their Refusal to Submit Financial Records for Scrutiny,” called on the Assembly to address the issue. 

While moving the motion, Adeh cited Section 20(b) of the Local Government Act, which empowers the House of Assembly to suspend any local government chairman for two months pending an investigation into allegations of misconduct. 

The motion was supported by 14 lawmakers, and opposed by six, while three members abstained from voting. 

Speaker of Edo Assembly, Chief Blessing Agbebaku, who directed the Clerk of the House, Yahaya Omogbai, to do a head count of the members, declared that insubordination and gross misconduct would not be allowed from the council chiefs.

In a related development, the lawmakers also screened and confirmed four nominees as Chairman and members of the Edo State Sports Commission.

The commission to be chaired by Amadin Enabule, has Godwin Bazuaye, Frank Illaboya, and Anthony Odianosen as members.

[TheNation]

The National Bureau of Statistics has revealed that Nigerians paid a total of N2.23tn as ransom over the 12 months between May 2023 and April 2024.

This sum was paid by households affected by kidnapping incidents, highlighting the growing threat posed by criminal activities in the country.

According to the NBS’s latest Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey report, an estimated 51.89 million crime incidents were recorded across Nigerian households in the reference period.

The survey showed that the North-West region had the highest incidence of crime, with 14.4 million cases reported, followed by the North-Central region with 8.8 million incidents.

In contrast, the South-East region reported the least crime, with 6.18 million incidents.

The findings also revealed that rural areas were more affected by crime than urban areas, with 26.53 million crime incidents in rural households compared to 25.36 million in urban areas.

The report highlighted the severity of kidnapping, with 4.14 million households experiencing home robbery.

Of those affected by kidnappings, 65 per cent were forced to pay ransom to secure the release of victims.

The average ransom paid was N2.67m, contributing to the total of N2.23tn paid by Nigerians to criminals during the 12 months.

Despite this, only 36.3 per cent of those who experienced home robbery reported the incidents to the police, with a similarly low reporting rate for kidnapping.

The report read, “Nationally, an estimated 51,887,032 crime incidences were experienced by households. The North-West (14,402,254) reported the highest incidences of crime at the household level, followed by the North-Central (8,771,400), while the South-East (6,176,031) reported the least. The result also shows that the crime incidence in the rural area (26,526,069) was higher than that of the urban area (25,360,963).

“In Nigeria, 4,142,174 households experienced home robbery. Less than half (36.3 per cent) of the households who were victims of home robbery reported their experience to the police. Among households that experienced kidnapping incidents, 65.0 per cent paid a ransom.

“The average amount paid as ransom was N2,670,693, with an estimated total ransom of N2,231,772,563,507 paid within the reference period.”

Many victims cited a lack of confidence in law enforcement and a belief that police intervention would not lead to meaningful action as the main reasons for not reporting.

The survey also revealed that 21.4 per cent of Nigerians fell victim to crime at the individual level, with phone theft being the most common crime, affecting 13.8 per cent of the population.

While 90 per cent of phone theft victims reported the crimes to the police, only half of those victims were satisfied with the police response.

Also, the survey estimated that 1.4 million Nigerians were victims of sexual offences, with most incidents occurring in someone else’s home or the victim’s residence.

Only about 22.7 per cent of sexual offence victims reported the crimes to the police.

Despite the widespread nature of crime, public perception of safety remains low.

The survey found that 9.6 per cent of Nigerians believed they were at risk of becoming victims of crime within the next 12 months.

The fear of crime was higher in rural areas, where 13 per cent of the population felt vulnerable, compared to 7 per cent in urban areas.

The report also questioned the effectiveness of Nigeria’s security agencies, particularly the police, in responding to emergencies.

Only 33.1 per cent of Nigerians reported that security agencies responded to emergency calls within 30 minutes.

The survey revealed that approximately 4 out of 10 households interacted with state or local security forces during the survey period, with half of these households contacting the Nigerian Police.

However, satisfaction with police responses was notably low, especially in cases of livestock and crop theft, where only 42.9 per cent and 42.4 per cent of victims expressed satisfaction, respectively.

In many rural areas, local vigilante groups were seen as a more reliable source of security.

[Punch]

…..Senate Urges Federal Government to Fund Modern Ranches for Safety Enhancement

The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has criticized the media, stating that they thrive on bad news, emphasizing that only negative stories are deemed newsworthy.

According to Akpabio, while security agencies prevent numerous criminal activities, these successes are rarely reported, as only bad news makes headlines.

Akpabio made these remarks during a debate on an urgent motion regarding the ongoing banditry and killings in Billiri Local Government Area of Gombe State, moved by Senator Anthony Siyako Yaro (PDP, Gombe South).

In response to contributions from former Senate Deputy Leader, Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central), Akpabio stated, “When you become a governor, you will understand what happens with security votes. The number of attempts foiled by security forces surpasses the ones that succeed, but those are rarely reported. Security agencies often intercept criminals before they commit their acts, but these successes are overlooked.”

He continued, “It is true that state governments play a vital role in security, and that the responsibility for maintaining peace and order should not fall solely on the federal government. Every Nigerian must contribute to security, peace, and harmony.”

Earlier, Senator Ningi had questioned the role of state governors in ensuring security, pointing out that each state receives at least N500 million monthly as security votes. He stressed that the constitution designates governors as the chief security officers of their states, meaning they must take responsibility for the safety of lives and property.

Meanwhile, the Senate has called on the federal government to fund the establishment of modern ranches across the country to improve safety and enhance economic productivity for both herders and local communities. The Senate also resolved to create laws defining the limits of economic activities under the ECOWAS treaty and to regulate movement to protect the rights and safety of Nigerians.

The Senate urged the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede; and the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate the recent attacks in Gombe, apprehend the perpetrators, and prosecute them.

Additionally, the Senate called for the urgent establishment of a joint police and military taskforce in Billiri to prevent further killings and requested the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and the North East Development Commission to provide relief materials to displaced victims.

The Senate also mandated its committees on Legislative Compliance, Police Affairs, and National Security and Intelligence to ensure compliance with these resolutions and to seek long-term solutions to insecurity in the region.

Senator Yaro, who introduced the motion, called for urgent action to address the recurring banditry attacks in Billiri, particularly following the deadly assault on several villages by suspected herders on December 11, 2024. He condemned the killings, arson, and widespread displacement caused by the attackers.

In his contribution, Senator Seriake Dickson (PDP, Bayelsa West) advocated for the establishment of federal government-funded modern ranches, which he believes would promote safety and economic productivity for both herders and local communities. Dickson emphasized the need for a comprehensive approach to implement the ranching initiative, citing the economic challenges faced by herders who travel long distances.

Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) reminded the Senate of a previous agreement to hold a national public hearing to explore legislative solutions to security challenges tied to economic activities and movement. He also stressed the need to define individual rights within the context of ECOWAS, ensuring that the rights of one person do not infringe on the rights of others.

The Senate continues to seek legislative action to address the escalating security concerns and promote national stability.

[Vanguard]