Anambra State, the state governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo has said that his administration has drawn a battle line against the criminals, insisting that no place in the state would be safe for them to operate.
This follows the alarming rate of insecurity in the state.
Addressing aspirants of the ruling All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, for the various elective positions for 2023 at the Governor’s Lodge, Awka, Soludo said the government is putting stringent measures in place with security agencies to tackle the situation headlong and restore peace and order to the state.
Lamenting the loss of the member representing Aguata Constituency II at the State House of Assembly, Okechukwu Okoye, who was gruesomely murdered alongside his aide, Cyril Chiegboka by gunmen, the governor assured that the perpetrators of the dastardly act would be arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law.
He said that the security challenges confronting the state were being “perpetrated by criminals who have now engaged in kidnapping, killing and another manner of criminalities as a lucrative enterprise, a far departure from any form of political agitations”.
The governor expressed gratitude to the APGA members for their support during his gubernatorial campaign and congratulated them for successfully participating in and passing through the screening exercise of the party.
While stating that APGA, as a political party remained one big family, Soludo also expressed optimism that the party would win convincingly in the forthcoming elections at the state House of Assembly, House of Representatives and the Senate elections.
He informed them that he would help build APGA as a strong political party founded on the strong philosophy of true federalism and devolution of power, pointing out that those who used APGA as a mercenary platform to get into office would have to be patient when they return to the party until it gets to their turn again.
“There is a need to build a political party of believers anchored on the concept of fidelity”, he added and thanked them for volunteering to serve the good people of Anambra State.
Soludo spoke after the beheading of the lawmaker in Anambra and as seven other persons in various parts of the state were killed by gunmen.
The latest killings came on the heels of the beheading of Okechukwu Okoye, the House of Assembly member representing Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s constituency of Aguata II constituency and his aide, Mr Cyril Chiegboka.
Out of the seven people reportedly killed, five were a woman and her four children, who met their death at Isulo in Orumba North local government area.
The other two victims were killed at Abatete in Idemili North local government area and at Nanka in Orumba North local government area.
Circumstances that led to the killing of the woman and her children were not yet clear, although it was gathered that gunmen allegedly invaded the area, killed their victims and left.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Tochukwu Ikenga however said he was yet to get the reports and promised to respond when he got a clear picture of what happened.
