Like other states in the South-east, Anambra State has witnessed increased attacks by gunmen in recent years.
Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State has again offered amnesty to criminals terrorising residents of the state.
Mr Soludo spoke on Tuesday during a press briefing at the Governor's Lodge in Amawbia.
A video clip of the briefing was published on Facebook on Tuesday evening.
Deadline for amnesty programme
Mr Soludo, speaking on the heels of increased attacks in Anambra, said his administration had identified armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism and touting as the major causes of insecurity in the state.
"When we came in as governor, about seven local government areas were in the grip of hoodlums, but we took on them head-on and liberated all those communities," he
"Today, we hear that a handful of some of those criminals earlier dislodged have now come together and have been terrorising the state," he said.
"We are calling on criminals who would want to partake in our amnesty programme to come forward and surrender themselves and their arms. We are giving them from now to the end of February 2025 to come and surrender, and we will be ready to help them start life afresh," the governor declared.
Tackling insecurity
Mr Soludo announced that his administration plans to launch a joint security operation to tackle insecurity in Anambra State.
He said the operation is codenamed "Operation Udo Ga Achi," an Igbo expression meaning "let peace reign."
"We have had reports of people being kidnapped and vehicles snatched, but in the coming days, we will launch Operation Udo Ga Achi. We have procured 168 patrol vehicles here, which will be distributed to various security agencies.
"Apart from the support we will be given the security agencies, we are also deploying ICT in the fight against insecurity," the governor said.
Mr Soludo vowed that his administration would begin revoking the lands of any community harbouring criminals.
He warned that members of such communities who give food or contribute money to take to the criminals in the bush would be treated as collaborators.
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"Also, any house that is found to have harboured kidnappers will henceforth become the property of the government," he said.
Not the first time
This is the third Mr Soludo will be declaring amnesty for criminals in Anambra State since he became governor of the state on 17 March 2022.
The governor first made the offer in July 2022 after visiting the detained leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, at the facility of the State Security Service in Abuja.
He made the offer for the second time in December of the same year.
Meanwhile, like other states in the South-east, Anambra has witnessed increased attacks by gunmen in recent years.
A lawmaker, in 2022, was killed and then beheaded by gunmen in the state.
Two former lawmakers have been abducted and then killed by gunmen said to be part of Biafra agitation in the South-east.
Several people, including government officials and security agencies, have been killed recently by gunmen terrorising the state.
Earlier this month, retired Archbishop of the Anglican Diocese of Nnewi, Godwin Okpala, and his driver were declared missing in the state.
Mr Okpala, a professor, and the driver have yet to be seen at the time of this report.
