[EDITORIAL] Anambra  Governorship Election And The Regime Of Terror

It is no longer news that Anambra State in South East Nigeria has now relapsed into siege orchestrated by faceless gunmen who spare nothing in sight as they go on frenzy with their unprovoked attack.

In the last few months with the gradual count down to the November 6, 2021 Governorship Election, spilling of blood has become part of the “new normal” in Anambra State as no week passes without news of one killing or the other in parts of the State.

Initially, it had begun as herdsmen attack on residents of the state and this was particularly one of the reasons the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPoB) set up its vigilante group known as the Eastern Security Network (ESN)  late last year or thereabout, to checkmate the activities of the herdsmen who mostly operated in the bush.

The situation began to assume a different dimension when prior to the primaries of the various political parties in the Governorship race, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo’s group was attacked right in his Isuofia Village in April, 2021 during a town hall meeting.  Though Soludo escaped the killers’ bullets but three police men on guard duties with him were not lucky as they were killed by the gun men.

So much condemnations had trailed the attack from various quarters as it portended a bad omen at the threshold of the electioneering campaign for the Governorship race.  Some persons were reportedly arrested in connection with the attack a few days later but it is not readily clear if they are being prosecuted.

Since the April attack on Soludo, many incidents of unprovoked killings and wanton attacks have continued unabated in Anambra much more than what happens in some other South East States.

Though, some accusing fingers have continued to point in the direction of IPoB as a result of so many statements rightly or wrongly credited to its leadership with the sit-at-home order, yet incidents of killing in recent time like that of Dr. Chike Akunyili; husband of the late Director General of NAFDAC, late Prof. Dora Akunyili are beginning to create a different impression that leaves IPoB out of the suspects’ ring.

Even some other incidents in recent time also give some semblance of politically motivated killings for the right or wrong reasons.

It is on record that on October 1, 2021 gunmen attacked All Progressives Congress (APC) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) campaigners in Anambra setting ablaze a car belonging to Prof. Soludo’s group leader, Dr. Nelson Omenugha at Nnobi in Idemili South Local Government Area.

On 30th September, 2021 gunmen had reportedly attacked a police facility in the state killing five police officers at a Divisional Police Station in Ajali, Orumba North Local Government Area. Same period, a convoy of the House of Representatives member representing Nnewi North, Nnewi South/Ekwusigo Constituency; Chris Azubogu was attacked by Gunmen who shot dead one of his drivers.

Few days ago, Somadina Oforma; a politician was reportedly killed in APC office in Anambra by gunmen.

A few weeks before Dr. Akunyili was assassinated, the dethroned traditional ruler of Mkpunando Aguleri, Alex Edozieuno was murdered by same unknown gunmen for undisclosed reason.

There are many other cases of indiscriminate and politically related killings going on in Anambra such that due to the tension in the state, many politicians have reportedly gone into hiding.

Just as this Editorial was being put together, news broke out that the country home of Mr. Joe Igbokwe in Nnewi, was set ablaze about 3pm on Sunday 3rd October, 2021.  Igbokwe who hails from Nnewi is a Chieftain of APC in Lagos and has overtly shown himself through his utterances in the past that he is not on the same page with IPoB, hence he is reported to have alleged that IPoB was behind the burning of his house soon after the incident.

On Sunday 3rd October, 2021, Anambra State Government through its Commissioner for Information, Don Adinuba accused the Anambra chapter of the APC as championing the insecurity through its actions which pretentiously cast President Muhammadu Buhari and APC at the national level as responsible for the insecurity.

The State Government pointed out that Anambra APC has chosen to go the way it is currently going because of Buhari’s change of mind towards storming the state to flag off the campaign for the APC candidate.  The President was said to have cancelled his plan to come to Anambra when it became revealing that APC did not hold valid primaries in the state whereby many of contenders were short-changed.

As security agencies are contending with the current situation in Anambra state with so much uncertainty surrounding the November 6 election, SECURITY REPORTERS. com will want to believe that the state of insecurity in Anambra is multifaceted.

There are different angles to it. We have the Herdsmen, IPoB, political and possibly business angles. All these coming at a time Governorship Election is around the corner pose a very huge challenge to the security agencies and would ultimately be a test case for what to expect in 2023 nation wide.

We want to call on the Federal Government not to look elsewhere as the gunmen siege continues unabated in Anambra. Let there be a more concerted approach at getting to know who the gunmen are, and possibly what they are looking for. There should be an end to bloodletting in Anambra state.