Former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Prof Chidi Odinkalu, has identified cultists and organised criminal gangs as the cause of insecurity in Anambra State.
Prof Odinkalu, who serves as the Chairman of Anambra State Truth, Peace, and Justice Commission, presented the commission’s report to the state governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo.
He emphasised that while secessionist agitations contribute to spillover violence, the primary causes of crime in Anambra are cultism and criminal gangs, often backed by influential individuals with interests in land and natural resources. Odinkalu stressed the importance of addressing these root causes to effectively tackle violence in the state.
Soludo had in 2022 constituted the Commission, naming Odinkalu as its chairman. Other notable members include Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu.
The Commission was charged with the responsibility of unraveling the root cause of violence in the state. It was also mandated to proffer solutions to ensure an end to violent crimes in the state.
Odinkalu, in an interview with journalists said: “Our findings is that there are two causes of violence in Anambra State. There is the primary cause and spillover violence. Crimes caused by secessionist groups are spillovers. Those are mainly coming from Imo, and you know that Anambra has borders with Imo.
“The primary cause of crime in Anambra is cultism and criminal gangs. Some of these criminal gangs are backed by powerful individuals, and the root cause is accruals from land and natural resources.
“Our finding is that secession is not the only source of crime in Anambra, but organized crime. The places you see IPOB and other secessionist groups are fairly contained and they are well limited.”
Odinkalu said Anambra is blessed with several natural resources, including hydrocarbon, sand mining, kaolin, crude oil and others. He added that land sales is also a big business in the state.
He said: “Focusing on secessionist agitations as the cause of violence diminishes the problems in the South East. The IPOB boys do not have the capabilities that people are ascribing to them. Organized crime has the capabilities that are more than what the IPOB and ESN has. Most of these IPOB people they ascribe crimes to, have nothing but pump action guns.
“But powerful individuals back criminal gangs and make a lot of money from them. They procure arms for their groups, and during electioneering periods too, politicians use these people. IPOB and ESN can not survive in Ogbaru, criminal gangs bunkering oil there will not let them. Secessionists survive only in the border areas.”
He said the Commission found, through investigation, that not less than 86 police personnel have been lost to violence in Anambra and the South East in a short period of time, describing the development as a massive toll on the country.
“This is because you don’t replace them them easily, they have to go through trainings, gun handling and the rest.”
Odinkalu stated that the Commission made recommendations to the governor on how to sustain peace in the state, and that he is confident that Soludo would implement the recommendations to the letter.
