Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo has promised to re-build the 28 divisional police offices that were burnt down by hoodlums in the state.
He said the project which will be in partnership with the Federal Government of Nigeria, communities, patriotic Ndi Anambra and corporations will help expand State’s Correctional centres.
Soludo, who disclosed this in his address during the official launching of a security initiative tagged Operation Udo Ga – Achi (Peace shall Prevail), held at the International Conversation Center Awka on Saturday, also pledged to pay the sum of ₦5m to anyone or whistleblowers with useful information that would lead to arrest of kidnappers and other criminal elements in the state.
He said he has signed into law the newly passed Anambra State Homeland Security Bill 2025 to legalise the new security initiative which according to him, would equally be driven by application of Artificial Intelligence, kinetic and non-kinetic action, among others.
According to him, ‘Today, we launch a Special intervention force code named: “Operation Udo Ga-Achi” which translates to Operation Peace Shall Prevail. This special intervention, as an emergency action, complements regular policing by upscaling intelligence gathering, reward whistleblowers, enhance rapid response, and urgently root out the criminals from any/every camp in Anambra state.
“It will also have a special task forces on drugs, touting, cultism, and criminal idolatry.
“We will ramp up our civic and social reformation, and we invite the clergy, communities, teachers, and social crusaders to join in this campaign.
“They will be active in all nooks and crannies of the state, with patrols and pin-down stop-and-search operations as necessary. We are investing heavily in logistical support.
“We are unveiling some 200 vehicles made to fit for purpose to aid operations and many more will be procured soon.
“This special force will have some 2,000 personnel; police, army, navy, civil defence, DSS, Agunechemba, plus other ‘special forces’. We are mainstreaming technology. We have installed best-in class Tracking System; emplacing a Command-and-Control system which enhances the use of voice, video and data in security management; deploying AI-powered surveillance cameras which we intend to cover most communities in Anambra; etc. Our State Call Centre is enabled, with the toll-free lines 5111 and 08002200008. Another platform run by the Nigerian Communication Commission has the call line 112 for emergency communication.
“Operation Udo Ga – Achi shall also be supported by the State’s recently established independent communication network which enables security personnel to communicate flawlessly using walkie talkies. We need people in the communities to give information to security agencies. Where you feel information given will be used against you, relay such information through our phone lines in Anambra State Call Centre.
“We will also be reviewing possible assistance to the existing Correctional Centres to expand their facilities, we will embark on building the State’s Correctional centres.
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“In partnership with the FGN, communities, patriotic Ndi Anambra and corporations, we intend to gradually re-build the 28 divisional police offices that were burnt down by the hoodlums.
“Security is our collective responsibility. Government alone cannot do it. Federal security agencies alone cannot do it. Sustainable security in our homeland requires full scale involvement of responsible citizenship. These criminals are our brothers, sisters, husbands, relations, friends, etc. They are not spirits. They live among us, and we know them. The fact is that 99% of these criminals arrested in Anambra since my 34 months in office are Igbos. We are fighting a different kind of organized armies of criminals – a kind that Anambra has never seen before. But we must prevail. We must all collectively confront the warped ideology and agitation that lead many among us to view security personnel as the enemy, and the criminals as the liberators. Those who contribute food and money and send to the criminals in the bushes are part of the problem, and we will begin to treat them as collaborators/criminals. I call on everyone—the town unions, clergy, traditional rulers and all civil society organizations to join in deconstructing the dangerous narratives that legitimize this criminality. For our long-term survival, we must rise up and fight together. If you see or know something, say or do something! Silence means complicity. Complaint is not enough. Every resident or citizen of Anambra must every day ask what he/she has done that day to enhance security and prosperity of the homeland. Only collective action will guarantee sustainable success.
“We are determined that the people of Ebonesie—Orsumoghu, Lilu, Isseke, Mbosi, etc and indeed the entire Ihiala local government must be totally liberated from these criminals. I must specially thank the FGN and the various security agencies for their commitment and support in this struggle to rid our state of organized armies of criminals.
“The State Agunechemba is a strong strike/intervention force that will be agile and mobile, underscoring that effective kinetic architecture will require a simultaneous interplay of bottom-up and top-bottom forces. In sum, Agunechemba assists/complements the federal security forces especially the police. But brute force will probably address about 50% of the challenges, as the first and necessary step.
“Meanwhile, our new Homeland Security law requires the forfeiture of any property used for manufacture, use or sale of hard drugs to the state government. I have signed a number of relevant laws that will facilitate prosecution of touts and drug dealers,” the governor noted.
Governor Soludo however, extended hand of friendship and amnesty to kidnappers, cultists, drug dealers and other categories of criminals to surrender themselves, with their weapons as his government would rehabilitate and empower them to become productive citizens.
Earlier, the State Commissioner of Police, Nnaghe Obono-Itam, who spoke on behalf of Security Commanders, extolled the state government for the initiative, assuring that they would work tirelessly to ensure that it objectives of safe and secured state was achieved.
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