Why Kanu’s release may not end insecurity in S’East – Soludo

By Miracle Ogunde

Anambra State governor, Prof. Charles Soludo has expressed doubt that the release of the detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, would end the crisis in the South East.

He said that the criminals appear to have severed ties with the original agitation.

Soludo noted that under the guise of agitation, these individuals had turned to “lucrative criminality,” engaging in armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism, and idolatry.

He also argued that criminals had hijacked the Biafran struggle and were now exploiting the Biafran struggle and Kanu’s name to perpetrate organised crime and fuel insecurity in the South-East region.

Speaking during a press briefing at the Governor’s Lodge in Amawbia on Tuesday, the governor revealed that over 99 per cent of criminals arrested in Anambra in the past two years were Igbo, with more than 70 per cent being non-indigenes of the state.

He insisted that their activities have nothing to do with the genuine liberation struggle, stating that such crimes are purely driven by greed and lawlessness.

“The so-called agitators have transformed into organised criminal gangs,” Soludo said. “They hide in forests, kidnapping innocent citizens for ransom, and they justify their atrocities under the pretext of Biafra. Let us be clear—this has nothing to do with any liberation movement. Criminality has taken on a life of its own. These people have tasted blood, and now, money is their motivation.”

“Kanu and IPOB have repeatedly dissociated themselves from these criminals,” Soludo explained. “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. They have become enemies of the people they claim to protect. Who are they fighting for when they kidnap and kill their own people?”

Soludo further decried the complicity of some communities in shielding these criminals, adding that insecurity in the region was sustained because some locals viewed security agencies as adversaries and the criminals as liberators.

“Our people know these criminals. They are our brothers, cousins, and neighbors,” he said. “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 asked.