In January, when Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo signed the 2025 State’s Homeland Security Law, he did so with a clear mission: to restore order and combat the rising wave of crime. The law gave birth to a new security outfit, Agunechemba, which was launched with the conviction that it would be an “emergency action” to root out criminals and restore peace. Governor Soludo made it clear that this force would be active in every corner of the state, working to counter threats like kidnapping, armed robbery, and cultism that were fueling a culture of criminal enterprise.
The people of Anambra State initially welcomed the new law with open arms. They had grown weary of the persistent killings and the brazen activities of gunmen who had taken over communities. Agunechemba seemed to be the answer, and it hit the ground running. The force was swift and decisive, raiding criminal hideouts and arresting suspected offenders. In the early days, they were credited with recovering communities from hoodlums and even chasing questionable native doctors out of the state. Prominent figures like Akwa Okuku and Onyeze Jesus were arrested and brought to justice.
However, just six months later, the initial enthusiasm has been replaced by growing fear and tension. Mounting allegations of intimidation and high-handedness have raised concerns that Agunechemba may have strayed from its core mandate, becoming a source of terror for the very citizens it was meant to protect. Questions are now being raised about the true motives behind the outfit’s formation.
The situation came to a head recently when a video went viral on social media, showing Agunechemba operatives assaulting and stripping a female National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member. In the video, the young woman, identified as Jennifer Elohor, was seen being beaten and dragged from her “Corpers’ Lodge” in Oba. Her anguished screams in the video sparked outrage among residents, who questioned what kind of crime could warrant such brutality from armed men. This incident, as many reports indicate, was not isolated. The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has accused the group of widespread human rights violations, including arbitrary arrests and the use of “jungle justice.”
The chairman of Intersociety, Emeka Umeagbalasi, wrote a letter to Governor Soludo, detailing how Agunechemba operatives allegedly ignore the rule of law, using hearsay and frivolous petitions to detain innocent residents for months without proper investigation or trial. One particularly chilling case he cited involved the demolition of a multi-million-naira hotel, whose owner was accused of using the property for criminal activities after what were believed to be 30 human graves were discovered there. Subsequent investigations, according to Umeagbalasi, revealed that the supposed “graves” were, in fact, fishponds that had existed for years, highlighting the group’s reckless resort to false labeling.
The outfit’s alleged excesses are also creating political tension. At a recent by-election for the Anambra South Senatorial seat, Agunechemba operatives were reportedly everywhere, directly contradicting a pre-election agreement that they would stay away from the process. Journalists monitoring the election also reported being harassed and detained for hours. The State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Basil Ejidike, even claimed that the party’s senatorial candidate, Azuka Okwuosa, was placed under house arrest by the security outfit during the election.
In a seeming admission of the group’s failings, Governor Soludo’s Special Adviser on Community Security, Ken Emeakayi, stated that Agunechemba has been infiltrated by criminals. He acknowledged that it is “unacceptable for Agunechemba operatives to act with impunity and extort the same people they are meant to protect.” Emeakayi confirmed that a comprehensive verification process is underway to identify and remove the bad apples tarnishing the agency’s image. He also revealed that the eight operatives involved in the assault on the NYSC member have been dismissed and that the government has publicly apologized and settled all of her medical expenses.
For his part, Governor Soludo condemned the incident, insisting that the security outfit was established “to maintain law and order, not to perpetrate violence and intimidation.” He assured the public that all those involved in the recent assault would face the full weight of the law. However, not everyone is convinced. The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council, has called on the governor to immediately disband the outfit and subject its members to drug tests. They believe the group has engaged in “jungle justice” for far too long and urged Soludo to start over with a fresh, more rigorous recruitment exercise.
This call for action resonates with earlier warnings from experts like Dr. Pat Onukwuli, who, at the time of the law’s promulgation, cautioned that Agunechemba could simply add another layer of bureaucracy and chaos to the state’s security system. He expressed fear that granting the outfit sweeping powers without clear checks and balances could promote lawlessness rather than order, a fear that now appears to be a painful reality for the people of Anambra.
