By Cajetan Mmuta, Awka
The November 8, 2025, governorship race in Anambra State took a dramatic turn as Young Progressives Party (YPP) candidate, Sir Paul Chukwumah, openly challenged Governor Charles Soludo’s handling of security, accusing the administration of outsourcing law enforcement to “lawless and compromised vigilante outfits.”
Chukwumah, who led a massive procession of supporters, youths, transporters, and residents under the banner of a “Mega Protest,” stormed the Anambra State Police Command in Amawbia, demanding that the Nigeria Police reclaim their constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property.
The protesters decried the “unchecked violence” by Udo Ga Achi and Agunechemba, two state-owned local security formations accused of killings, intimidation of voters, and human rights abuses during the August 16 by-elections in Anambra South Senatorial District and Onitsha North Constituency.
Public outrage heightened after a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Jennifer Elobor, was assaulted and stripped by vigilante operatives in Oba, Idemili South.
According to Chukwumah, the vigilante groups “have woefully failed” and instead turned into instruments of oppression and political intimidation.
He accused state authorities of mismanaging security votes while allowing untrained operatives to usurp police powers.
“We call on the police to take back their constitutional duty. Parents should not fear sending their children to serve in Anambra. The President has provided resources to fight insecurity nationwide—why is Anambra descending into lawlessness? This state must not slide into a banana republic,” Chukwumah declared.
Residents and bystanders cheered as the convoy gridlocked Awka’s major roads, describing the protest as a “long overdue” confrontation with a vigilante system that had grown beyond its mandate.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Ibrahim Ezekiel, while addressing the demonstrators, admitted concerns over the excesses of Agunechemba operatives but insisted that corrective steps were already underway.
“The Commissioner of Police has mandated an orientation course for vigilante members to ensure they complement—not replace—the police. On the assault of the corps member, eight suspects have already been handed over and are facing investigation at the State Criminal Investigative Department (SCID),” Ezekiel said.
The DCP also promised investigations into allegations that vigilante operatives were illegally carrying AK-47 rifles, urging citizens to remain calm as the police worked to restore order.
Despite police assurances, the protest underscores a widening legitimacy crisis: a state government accused of funding vigilante excesses on one side, and opposition voices demanding federal security intervention on the other.
With the governorship election fast approaching, the debate over who truly secures Anambra—trained law enforcement or partisan-backed vigilante groups—may define both the campaign and the fate of Governor Soludo’s security strategy.
