The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has asked the Anambra State Governor, Prof Charles Soludo to investigate the alleged connection of his cabinet members to the disturbance of the peace of the state.
This was contained in a release by the group on Wednesday, while lambasting Governor Soludo for his inaction toward determining the truths or otherwise of the allegations.
The civic group said, “The silence of the Prof Charles Soludo-led government of Anambra State regarding the recent weighty allegations against his Commissioner for Homeland Security; Mr. Chikaodili Anara (Igba-ka-Igba) is totally condemned. The denial of same by the person of Mr. Chikaodili Anara is watery and has failed woefully to critically address the core issues raised.”
It should be remembered that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) levelled serious complaints against the Homeland Security Commissioner, bordering on insecurity, twice in one week, between May 28th and June 4th, 2023.
The IPOB leadership accused him of "running a hit squad including high-profile kidnap-for-ransom gangs using Government connections and functionaries as a backup.
He was also charged with "secretly purchasing acres of land for Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen as a middleman for the Miyatti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and facilitating incursions by the Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen into Awka North and environs." IPOB also accused Commissioner Chikaodili Anara of "being the brain behind the general security challenges across the state.
Intersociety said, “By our recent investigations, there also appears to exist in the State a high profile and well-armed and coordinated kidnapping gang syndicate around Achalla and environs in Awka North. The kidnap-for-ransom gangs or syndicates are so well armed and coordinated that they have in their arsenal a number of flying boats which they use to forcefully ferry their victims from Ezu-Omambala-Niger River axis to the Ogbaru-Asaba Niger River Creeks manned by the Nigerian Naval Base in Ogbaru where ransoms are negotiated and paid.
“This is to the extent that the kidnap-for-ransom gangs have become an outlaw, above the law and beyond the law enforcement agencies of Anambra State formations. It must also be reminded that IPOB’s weighty allegations against Commissioner Chikaodili Anara cannot be circumstantially dismissive or pronounced dead on arrival; especially by the intelligence gathering prowess of the IPOB from their Eastern Security Network-a counter Jihadist incursion group in Eastern Nigeria since Dec 2020.”
As a result, the group calls on Anambra Government to conduct a thorough and unbiased investigation into the serious allegations levelled against Commissioner Chikaodili Anara in order to determine the veracity or otherwise of the serious allegations.
“The Soludo’s Government must also look inward regarding the Ogbaru US Embassy’s convoy shootings and killings for possibility of insider connections or conspiratorial roles. Such must be extended to the State Police Command, Ogbaru Naval Base and Homeland Security circles. The Anambra Directorate of the DSS is exonerated and absolved of any culpability until it is proven otherwise and except the post US Embassy convoy’s crime scene vicinity shootings and killings and the communal raiding and indiscriminate arrests, abductions and shootings that followed, the 302 Artillery Regiment of the Nigerian Army is also absolved of possible internal conspiracy involvement.
“Gov Charles Soludo is hereby expertly called upon and advised to rely more on generated intelligence by the State Directorate of State Security Services under Director Pawa and subject those from Army, Navy and Police to thorough evaluations and checks before being used in public pronouncements and public security and safety policies or actions,” the statement added.