The Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, on Tuesday, said he doubted if the release of the detained leader of the separatist Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, would end the pervasive insecurity in the South-East.

Soludo argued that criminals had hijacked the Biafran struggle and were now exploiting the Biafran struggle and Kanu’s name to perpetrate organised crime and fuel insecurity in the South-East region.

Soludo noted that under the guise of agitation, these individuals had turned to “lucrative criminality,” engaging in armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism, and idolatry.

He insisted that their activities have nothing to do with the genuine liberation struggle, stating that such crimes are purely driven by greed and lawlessness.

Speaking during a press briefing at the Governor’s Lodge in Amawbia on Tuesday, Soludo revealed that over 99 per cent of criminals arrested in Anambra in the past two years were Igbo, with more than 70 per cent being non-indigenes of the state.

“The so-called agitators have transformed into organised criminal gangs,” Soludo said. “They hide in forests, kidnapping innocent citizens for ransom, and they justify their atrocities under the pretext of Biafra. Let us be clear—this has nothing to do with any liberation movement. Criminality has taken on a life of its own. These people have tasted blood, and now, money is their motivation.”

The governor expressed doubt that the release of the detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, would end the crisis, as the criminals appear to have severed ties with the original agitation.

“Kanu and IPOB have repeatedly dissociated themselves from these criminals,” Soludo explained. “Even if Nnamdi Kanu is released today, I’m not sure they would listen to him because what they now pursue is wealth, not liberation. They have become enemies of the people they claim to protect. Who are they fighting for when they kidnap and kill their own people?”