Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has sparked controversy with recent comments asserting that the majority of kidnappers arrested in the South-East region are of Igbo origin, not Fulani as widely believed.
Speaking during a town hall meeting with members of the Anambra Diaspora Community in the United States on Monday, Soludo challenged prevailing narratives that blamed Fulani herdsmen for rampant kidnappings and violence in the region.
“In over three years as governor, we have arrested a hundred kidnappers and other criminals. 99.99% of them are Igbo youths,” Soludo stated. “Igbos are kidnapping Igbos. They are the ones killing Igbos. All the criminal camps we’ve uncovered are occupied by Igbo youths.”
He described the widely held belief that Fulani herdsmen are orchestrating violence in the region as false propaganda. “They told us Fulani people are hiding in the bushes, waiting for the whistle to take over. That’s the lie that pushed our young men into the forests,” the governor said.
Drawing comparisons to cyber fraud and drug trafficking, Soludo argued that kidnapping had become a “lucrative business” for some Igbo youths, describing it as the next step after internet fraud, popularly known as “Yahoo Yahoo,” and drug peddling.
His remarks come just days after gunmen attacked the Ogboji community in Orumba South Local Government Area, killing more than 13 people, allegedly from neighbouring Ebonyi State. While the Anambra State Government attributed the killings to internal disputes within the Ebonyi community, the governor of Ebonyi State, Francis Nwifuru, vowed to ensure justice for the victims.
Civil society critic Soludo
Soludo’s comments have since drawn sharp criticism from the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), a rights advocacy group. In a statement released by its Board of Trustees Chairman, Mr Emeka Umeagbalasi, the group dismissed the governor’s claims, insisting that Fulani herdsmen remain a serious security threat in the region.
“Intersociety strongly rejects Governor Soludo’s Maryland speech, which attempts to exonerate jihadist Fulani herdsmen from the ongoing insecurity in Anambra’s forests and farmlands,” the group stated.
The group accused the Soludo administration of shielding violent herdsmen and aligning with federal ranching policies allegedly aimed at promoting Fulani territorial expansion. According to Intersociety, Fulani militia camps still exist in communities across Awka North and South, Ayamelum, Orumba North and South, Oyi, and Dunukofia.
“The state government has continued to work with security agencies to protect these jihadist elements while blaming IPOB, ESN, or so-called unknown gunmen for the violence,” Umeagbalasi alleged.
As the debate continues, Soludo’s comments have ignited fresh scrutiny of security dynamics in the South-East, with some praising his candour, while others accuse him of deflecting blame and playing into politically charged narratives.
