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Soludo’s aide says Monday sit-at-home largely defeated in Anambra.
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Security measures, education, and welfare reforms credited for progress.
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Government urges residents, media to resist propaganda and support peace.
The Special Adviser on Security to Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, Mr. Ben Chiobi, has said the Monday sit-at-home order imposed by separatist elements in the South-East has been largely defeated in the state.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that
Speaking with journalists on Friday in Abuja at the ongoing National Summit on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism, Chiobi maintained that Anambra remains one of the safest states in Nigeria. The summit, themed “The Evolving Landscape of Violent Extremism: Emerging Issues in Niger and the Sahel”, was organised by the PCVE Knowledge, Innovation and Resource Hub in partnership with PAVE.
Chiobi explained that residents had not been harmed in recent months for carrying out their businesses on Mondays, stressing that fear, rather than actual threats, was preventing some communities from resuming normal activities.
“In Awka and other major towns, banks and businesses operate freely on Mondays. In some other locations, people are still unnecessarily afraid, but nobody has been kidnapped, stopped, or harmed on a Monday in months,” he said.
He urged the media to help dispel fear by showing evidence from across the state. “Sit-at-home is now more of a psychological thing,” he added.
Chiobi dismissed reports that Anambra had become a base for criminal groups, describing such claims as politically motivated. According to him, many threats investigated by the state security agencies originated from outside Anambra through digital platforms. “Five out of ten threat calls we investigate usually turn out to come from elsewhere,” he revealed.
The adviser highlighted security measures introduced since Soludo assumed office in March 2022, including the Anambra Vigilante Service, the Udo Ga Adi Task Force, and the Anambra Homeland Security Law, which mandates every community to file monthly security reports. He stressed that communities and their leaders are held accountable for lapses.
Chiobi also noted non-kinetic efforts such as poverty alleviation, free primary and secondary education, bursaries for tertiary students, and free antenatal and prenatal healthcare, which he said were designed to ease family burdens and reduce incentives for crime.
He disclosed ongoing collaborations with the Kukah Centre, traditional rulers, and community leaders on early warning and response systems. “Security is everybody’s business. If you see something, report it. Don’t spread fake news. We must all work together to keep Anambra secure,” he said.
