A former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka believes Nigeria as a country can borrow aspects of the Anambra State Homeland Security Law to begin to model a proactive nationwide security law that will aggressively nip insecurity across the country in the bud.
The advice came in a speech presented to the Anambra League of Professionals by Chidoka, who is the Chancellor, Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership.
The Law which came into effect early 2025 in Anambra, has been acclaimed to have yielded drastic results in addressing the security problems in the state.
Under the law, tenant registration is mandatory, requiring landlords to document and report the identities of those living on their properties. Town unions must submit monthly security reports or risk losing government recognition, effectively making communities accountable for tracking suspicious activities.
Hotels and short-let apartments must register all guests and install surveillance systems. Religious institutions found complicit in criminal activities face closure, while properties used for crime will be seized, with their owners facing up to 25 years in prison.
Even supernatural fraud—money rituals and charms for wealth—is now a criminal offence, carrying a six-year prison sentence and a hefty fine.
Chidoka observed that the Anambra Homeland Security Law 2025 is a radical shift from conventional policing, embedding security within governance, morality, and civic duty.
He said unlike Nigeria’s traditional approach, which places the entire burden on the police and military, Soludo’s model extends responsibility to landlords, town unions, businesses, and religious institutions.
“This approach represents a fundamental departure from Nigeria’s historically reactive security framework. It acknowledges that policing alone cannot solve a problem rooted in cultural, economic, and social dysfunction. Soludo’s security doctrine argues that crime thrives because of weak law enforcement and a more profound moral crisis.
“His argument is difficult to ignore. In a society where fraudsters are celebrated, religious institutions bless unexplained wealth, and communities embrace criminals as benefactors, no surveillance cameras or artificial intelligence-driven crime mapping can ensure security.
“No police force, no matter how well-equipped, can protect a people who refuse to hold themselves accountable. Security, Gov. Soludo insists, is as much a question of values as enforcement.
“The message is clear: crime is not an inevitability but a policy choice. Societies that tolerate minor infractions create an environment where larger crimes flourish.
“Fraud fuels impunity. Kidnapping finances more sophisticated criminal enterprises. The failure to enforce laws consistently weakens the legitimacy of the state,” Chidoka posited.
The ex-minister however, noted that the most significant test for Soludo’s security vision will be public buy-in, adding that a law is only as strong as the willingness of the people to uphold it.
According to him, the success of the security model depends on a cultural shift, one where communities stop legitimising criminal wealth, where town unions actively engage in crime prevention, and where the government prosecutes offenders without fear or favour.
He also harped on the need for the government to be transparent in reporting activities, respect human rights, and provide a strong governance and redress mechanism for implementing the law.
Chidoka emphasized that Nigeria with all its security challenges, cannot afford to rely solely on kinetic security measures.
He insisted that a non-kinetic approach—one that emphasizes citizen participation, intelligence gathering, and preventive security measures—is critical.
“Soludo’s security vision prioritizes prevention over reaction, making security a shared civic responsibility rather than the sole burden of an overstretched police force.
“As a nation, we can continue on our current path, tolerating crime and living in fear, or we can embrace a new model of accountability, where security is a collective duty.
“Anambra has taken the first step; while we wait for the outcomes, other states and Nigeria may consider following the example,” Chidoka, one-time Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC advised.
