Soludo is determined to make Anambra the safest state in Nigeria

Today, Governor Chukwuma Soludo will officially launch a robust, technologically-driven and community-based policing initiative known as “Operation Udo Ga-Achi”. This will be accompanied by the signing into law of the Anambra State Homeland Security Bill 2025, which has just been passed by the state’s house of assembly. These initiatives offer a comprehensive framework to secure Anambra State and modernize its security system.

Anambra has a long history of state-like policing system – right from the time of the famous Bakassi boys – but with the initiatives being launched by Governor Soludo, Anambra has gotten it right. This will serve as a model for other states to copy. This security initiative is a product of research and deep thinking. It offers robust strategies to complement the work of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), which still remains the constitutional authority with the primary function of policing Nigeria.

The origin of the modern-day vigilante operation in Anambra State could be traced to the late 1990s when the Onitsha Traders’ Association (OTA) formed a vigilante group to combat the rising spate of crime in the Onitsha Market area as a result of the police’s inability to curb crime in the market. But the OTA vigilante group had a crude method of operation as it was accused of gruesome killing of alleged criminals without trials, despite the fact that their presence seemed to curb the rising rate of crime at its inception.  During this same period, the Bakassi Boys in Aba area secured the backing of the Abia State Government and was known as the Abia State Vigilante Service (AVS). The Aba Bakassi, led by Ariaria Market shoe makers in Aba, recorded great successes within a short time in curbing the rising crime rate in Aba in the 90s as well. But their methods of operation were also very gruesome as well.

As security deteriorated in 1998 in Anambra State and with the gradual failure of OTA Vigilante in Anambra to live up to expectation, there was a clamor to copy the modus operandi of Aba’s Bakassi Boys in Anambra State. This led to the formation of another vigilante group known as the Bakassi Boys of Anambra. And with the signing of the December 6, 2000 bill known as the ‘Anambra State Vigilante Service (AVS) 2000’ by the then governor, Dr Chinwoke Mbadinuju, the Bakassi Boys of Anambra metamorphized into the ‘Anambra State Vigilante Service (AVS)’. The AVS seemed to be very effective, as crime reduced during the period it was formed, it was disbanded in 2002 by the federal government after a bill by President Olusegun Obasanjo on April 10, 2002 entitled “Prohibition of Certain Association Act” was sent to Nigeria’s parliament. The AVS was criticized for the crude way it operated.

The disbandment of the AVS led to an upsurge in crime in Anambra State in the early 2000s and, thus, different communities were forced to start operating their own vigilante group without the support of the state government. In fact, there was a case in 2002 in Nsukwu Abetete – a community in Anambra – where a whole family of 3 girls and their mother were raped by a criminal group made up of 50 boys. The upsurge of crime led communities like Abatete, Ogidi, Uke, Ideani Alor, Eziowelle, Abacha and Umuoji, etcetera, to have their own vigilante groups. Many citizens believed that these community-led vigilantes, which had no significant government backing at that point, were spiritually fortified. They obviously did not have much technological input in their operations. (A short fall that has now been remedied by the recent security strategy by the Soludo-led administration).

The first major attempt to harmonize all these community-led vigilante groups was made in 2003 by the then governor, Dr Chris Nwabueze Ngige. When Peter Obi became governor, he took interest in these community-led vigilante groups and supported them with the donation of vehicles. Former Governor Peter Obi also supported them with financial grants to maintain these vehicles donated to them. These guards were still referred to as Bakassi Boys and AVS during the time of Governor Peter Obi.

With the coming of Governor Willie Obiano, the various vigilante services in Anambra State were re-organized and brought under one body which is known as the ‘’Anambra Vigilante Group (AVG)’’. A law establishing the Anambra State Vigilante Group and its Supervisory Committees was enacted by the Anambra State House of Assembly in 2014. The vigilante system was beginning to have a structure under Governor Obiano. This 2014 law covers the establishment, funding, operations, functions and powers of the AVG. This law was later amended in 2015. With this, AVG became a core part of the security structure in Anambra State.

But today, under Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s watch, AVG is being re-structured to be a fit for purpose body. The new security out-fit launched today shall address long established concerns of citizens as it regards vigilante-police relationship and the constitutional responsibilities of vigilante groups. In the past, leaders of AVG have lamented the treatment of cases handed over to the police (NPF) to handle. They argue that the corruption and inefficiency in the police have not helped as most criminals taken to the police pay their way out. This, they argue, makes a mess of their job because these criminals go on to continue perpetrating crime. One of Governor Soludo’s strategy is to provide some form of incentive to state police officers to work with the newly established security outfit in Anambra State. Yesterday, Governor Soludo promised to reward divisional police units whose jurisdiction reports zero crime in any month. This incentive will definitely motivate the police to offer increased support to the newly formed security outfit in Anambra State. Obviously, this kind of incentive is different from the traditional support state governors offer to police commands in their states. (Today, even operational expenses like the fueling of police vehicles are significantly taken care of by some state governors in their various jurisdictions even though the NPF is supposed to have their own budget from the federal government).

The new security law in Anambra provides for defined roles and responsibilities for security personnel, especially the newly formed ‘Agunechemba’. It makes provision for proper training and ensures that the newly formed security units maintain the highest level of ethical standard. Many critics of the then Bakassi Boys have argued that this was what was missing in Bakassi Boys’ operation.

Also, issues related to the poor renumeration of vigilante personnel or guards will be addressed in Anambra’s new security architecture. The salaries of vigilante guards went down from 30,000 naira during the time of Governor Chris Ngige to about 10,000 naira after Chris Ngige left office, according to a research paper published in the NIU Journal of Social Sciences.  With the support of Anambra Security Trust Fund and increased security funding in Anambra, the newly established ‘Agunechemba’ personnel would be motivated to give their best. Security personnel ought to be well motivated because they perform a very important service.

An intelligence and technology-based model are part of the strategy that the newly formed security outfit in Anambra will use to secure the state. With the new security law in Anambra, landlords are mandated to know their tenants in the same way banks are mandated to know their customers. No landlord should have any excuse for housing any criminal. With the new law in Anambra, landlords or landowners are liable when their properties are used for kidnapping operations.

The newly formed security outfit in Anambra will be technologically-driven. They would be supported with state-of-the-art gadgets that are linked to centralized command and control infrastructure. Technology will be a core part of the policing strategy in Anambra and the days where vigilante personnel are left to depend on their charms are gone.

Every community in Anambra will have a robust system of security personnel working with community leaders and local councils.

Anambra is ready to lead by example when it comes to policing in Nigeria.  And should the Federal Government and the National Assembly firm up the constitutional provisions for the establishment of state police, these initiatives would give Anambra the necessary foundation to support this course. This is also the position of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State when he argued that Lagos was ready to deploy 10,000 officials of the state security outfit, Neighborhood Watch, for state police operation, when it materializes.