Tony Okafor, Awka
The Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has declared total war against gunmen terrorising the state, suggesting that the amnesty earlier offered them has been withdrawn.
Soludo who indicated this on his verified Facebook page in reaction to the killing of a lawmaker in the state, said the gruesome murder of the lawmaker representing Aguata 2 Constituency in the state Assembly, Okechukwu Okoye, had shown that the criminals did not value human life anymore.
Soludo had upon assumption of office offered amnesty to hoodlums in the state, stating that his administration would set up a truth and reconciliation commission for that purpose.
He had said, “We have also offered them some kind of amnesty. Come out, give us your guns, we are prepared to give you training in whatever skills, even if we have to raise resources to empower you to become useful partners in the development of society.
“A lot of them (gunmen) in the bush out there are having camps here and there. They come out to kidnap and kill. Once we isolate all the groups that are not involved in this, then we can focus on the criminals.
Soludo had also visited the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, in prison as part of his peace moves to assuage the agitators. Kanu had during the parley, described the killings in the South-East as sacrilegious.
But in his recent Facebook posting, Soludo said the rampaging criminals had elected to desecrate Igbo land with the blood of the innocent, lamenting that the lawmaker and his aide Cyril Chiegboka, were murdered in the most gruesome manner.
The governor said”Okey dị okay”‘ and Cyril Chiegboka were murdered in the most gruesome manner. No human being should ever have to experience death in that way. For no just reason, rampaging criminals have elected to desecrate our land with the blood of the innocent.
“This is a test of our resolve, and we are more emboldened than cowed that this criminality must be stamped out of our land.
“Ụmụnnem Ndị Anambra, this is not who we are. The party is over, and every community must brace up to join forces with government in this war to reclaim our homeland.
“Okey and Cyril will never die in vain. May God console their young families, the people of Isuofia and ndị Anambra. May their souls and all others who have lost their lives in the hands of these criminals continue to rest in peace.
“We have placed N10m bounty for anyone with useful information. This war is one that Anambra must win!”