The candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, for the 2025 Anambra Governorship Election, Chioma Ifemeludike, has demanded the immediate establishment of an investigative panel to investigate the excesses of operatives of the newly established Agunechemba security outfit.
Ifemeludike made the demand in an exclusive chat with newsmen in Awka over the security situation in Anambra State.
Governor Chukwuma Soludo signed into law the State Homeland Security Law in January 2025, which aimed to address the root causes of insecurity in the state.
This had ushered in the establishment of the Agunechemba security outfit.
According to Ifemeludike, there have been so many reports of alleged criminal activities, human rights violations, extrajudicial killings, and human rights violations by the Agunechemba operatives.
She was of the view that the Agunechemba initiative failed from the outset, insisting that the governor’s approach was causing more pain and danger to the Anambra people and contributing to increased insecurity in the state.
Recalling how in Mgbakwu in Awka North LGA, a woman was shot dead by the operatives of Agunechemba, and another young man was killed in Achina, Aguata LGA, the AAC guber candidate regretted that the operations of the outfit cast a shadow of doubt as to whether they can address the problem they were created to solve.
“The so-called Agunechemba operatives are obviously protecting their pockets and bank accounts and promoting their criminal ventures in the state.
“Some of these hungry men, Gov. Soludo handed guns, now use this avenue to extort money from my people who are already suffering in the hands of the some Nigerian police officers who forcefully take money from them at checkpoints.
“The government of Anambra, due to their ineptitude and mediocre system of governing the state, couldn’t set up a supervisory board or committee to checkmate the excesses of this security outfit, which has turned out to be a nightmare to the people,” she alleged.
Demanding an investigation into the excesses of the Agunechemba operatives, Ifemeludike called for a proper verification and identification system to be implemented to distinguish genuine operatives.
She also suggested the establishment of a supervisory committee accessible to Anambra residents, where they can lodge complaints through phone calls, messages, or submit footage of their encounters with the operatives.
The AAC standard bearer also called for proper training, sensitisation, drug testing and education of the Agunechemba operatives, warning that if there are no obvious changes in the coming weeks, or more cases of criminality, oppression and infringement of human right are reported, she will lead a protest to the government house until government revokes the network.
“Economic security and state security are intertwined; that is to say, you can’t hand guns to hungry, unemployed youths and expect angelic characters.
“The issues of social security and building an economy that caters to and provides for the people, as well as education, are also at the top of this conversation. Children hawking while they should be in school learning is insecurity and danger, inevitable, and it is unacceptable,” she noted.
