Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has disclosed that his administration has destroyed over 62 criminal camps across the state as part of efforts to restore security and normalcy.
Soludo also said the Southeast region suffered significant economic losses due to the sit-at-home order declared by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), noting that businesses and investments were diverted elsewhere during the period.
However, he stated that with the stoppage of the sit-at-home, commercial activities have rebounded, particularly in Onitsha Main Market, where over 45,000 shops reopened on Monday.
Speaking with journalists after a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja on Wednesday, Soludo said his government established a vigilante group known as Agunechemba, alongside anti-cult and anti-touting groups, to stamp out criminality in the state.
“When I assumed office, so far since I came into office, about 62 criminal camps have been dismantled in Anambra, and we’re not resting for one second. In Anambra, we pride ourselves on being the safest — if not, modestly, one of the safest — states in the country, and security is key,” he said.
He added that the state witnessed a massive return of residents during the last Christmas period, describing it as a sign of restored confidence in security.
On the fate of those behind the dismantled camps, the governor declined to give details but insisted that criminal elements have been decisively dealt with.
“I don’t want to tell you the details of what happened to them. The important thing is that the 62 camps have been decimated, and they’re not there anymore — anywhere,” he stated.
Soludo described the Monday sit-at-home as economically and socially destructive, stressing that each lost Monday represented roughly 20 percent of the working week for informal businesses.
He said the closure of the Onitsha Main Market, reputed to be the largest in West Africa, had inflicted significant losses on traders and the wider regional economy.
According to him, the renewed opening of the market has been met with widespread jubilation, with thousands of traders returning to business activities.
He also disclosed plans to regenerate and modernise the Onitsha Main Market, promising to restore its status as the premier commercial hub in West Africa.
The governor clarified that his visit to the President was not related to security issues, noting that security remains a routine responsibility of the state government.
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
Follow us on:
