The Anambra State Government has emphasized that the ‘Operation Udo Ga Achi’ and its Agunechemba Security Outfit have been established to protect lives, not to harm or harass law-abiding citizens.
Chief Ken Emeakayi, the Special Adviser to the State Governor, Charles Soludo, on Community Security, made this statement during a discussion with journalists in Awka on Saturday.
His comments were in response to recent public concerns regarding the alleged activities of some Agunechemba operatives in the state.
Citizens have reported that these concerning activities have resulted in civilian casualties and instances of extortion.
In response, Emeakayi stated that the state government’s intention is to use the security outfit to ensure the safety of lives and property for the people of Anambra.
He explained that each operative is properly identified within their community before being recruited into the outfit.
Emeakayi also noted that the state government will not protect any operative who is found to be extorting citizens or engaging in any wrongful conduct. Such individuals will face consequences and serve as examples to deter others.
The Governor’s aide urged the public to report any misconduct by Agunechemba operatives, allowing the government to take prompt and decisive action.
“The reason the governor, Chukwuma Soludo, established Agunechemba and Operation Udo ga achi, is to drive away criminals in the state. It is not for the operatives to start tormenting people they are expected to protect.
“See something say something is not just about reporting criminal activities. It also includes speaking up when you see any Agunechemba operative perpetrating any untoward act, whether to you or to any other member of the public,” he said.
On the claims by some alleged vigilante operatives that they were collecting tolls at checkpoints because they have not been paid, Emeakayi explained that the operatives were not paid because they refused to present themselves for verification as required by law.
According to him, these operatives have been dodging the verification exercise since it started in January.
Emeakayi said; ”Those who want to be paid should go for profiling to enable us know if they are actually members of Agunechemba and to ensure that they do not have questionable character.
“Very soon, anybody who claims to be a security operative in any community in Anambra State without subjecting himself to the profiling process, will be treated like a criminal because such a person has something to hide.
“The Anambra State Homeland Security law is very clear on the issue of knowing where every gun in the state is at any point in time and those keeping them.
“We must know the full identity of everyone who claims to be a security operative in the state.
“We are, therefore, pleading that people should be alert and expose any shortcoming they discover on the part of the operatives, the adviser stated.
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