The Anambra State Government has warned terrorists and criminal elements hiding under the guise of freedom fighting to stop killing residents and deceiving youths with false claims of liberation.
The Commissioner for Information, Dr Law Mefor, gave the warning during a public awareness campaign organised by the Department of State Services (DSS) and tagged “Unite Against Terror.”
The campaign, which featured a sensitisation walk against violent crime across the state, brought together personnel and representatives of various security agencies and organisations, including the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Correctional Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Agunechemba security outfit, federal establishments, Ministry of Information, Red Cross, Anambra Bus Drivers Forum and Anambra Tricycle Riders Forum.
Speaking to journalists at the Light House Tower, Awka, where the march ended, Mefor described the killing of innocent people under the guise of fighting for freedom as deceptive and unacceptable.
He said terrorism could not be equated with genuine freedom fighting, urging youths not to fall victim to propaganda by criminal groups.
“We’re uniting against terror and terrorism. Don’t be deceived; terrorism is not the same thing as freedom fighting.
“Those who are killing us and calling themselves liberators are lying because that’s not freedom fighting. You don’t liberate us by killing us,” Mefor said.
He noted that terror activities had been recorded in Anambra, the Southeast and other parts of the country, warning that criminal elements were deliberately targeting youths with narratives designed to justify violence.
“We’ve seen terror activities in Anambra, in the Southeast and across the country. They want the youth to believe that their activities are targeted at liberation.
“You don’t liberate us by killing us. We must unite against terror, just like other states across the country are doing, and we must be in the vanguard,” he added.
Mefor also linked the relative peace in Anambra to the development strides recorded under the present administration, saying insecurity diverted resources that could otherwise be deployed to other sectors.
“If the state can experience this level of transformation amidst pockets of insecurity, imagine what would have happened if there were no insecurity at all.
“You need to know how much Mr Governor is pumping into security. Such money could have gone into education, health, more infrastructure and others,” he said.
Also speaking, the Police Public Relations Officer in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, said the solidarity march was designed to raise public awareness about the dangers of violent crime and promote collective responsibility for maintaining peace.
According to him, the campaign was also aimed at reinforcing inter-agency collaboration, intelligence sharing, community engagement and proactive crime prevention.
Ikenga urged residents to reject violence and avoid actions capable of disrupting public peace, while calling for greater cooperation with security agencies.
“We also encourage them to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to the appropriate security authorities,” he said.
The Director of Operations of Agunechemba, Chief Chinenye Ihenko, said the state-owned security outfit had continued to work with other security agencies to protect residents and suppress criminal activities.
He acknowledged that crime could not be completely eliminated but said sustained collaboration had helped to significantly contain it.
“Yes, you can’t eradicate crime, but you can control it. We’re bold to say that unlike what was obtainable in the past, we have, in collaboration with other security agencies, fought crime to a standstill and will continue to be on top of the situation,” Ihenko said.
