Tensions flared on Tuesday following controversial remarks by Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo, who claimed that 99.9 per cent of crimes in the South-East were committed by local residents.
The statement has drawn strong condemnation from the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), which accused the governor of peddling falsehood and pursuing divisive rhetoric for political gain.
In a statement signed by its National Director of Information, Edeson Samuel, MASSOB warned Soludo that such remarks would not secure his second-term ambition. The group cited violent attacks and killings allegedly perpetrated by Fulani herders across the region.
“Soludo seems to have forgotten the continuous cycle of killings, kidnappings, rapes, and destruction of properties against Igbo people, particularly in Anambra State,” the statement read.
MASSOB referenced several violent incidents, including the massacre of over 200 people at the Gariki Cow Market in Lokpanta, Umunneochi LGA of Abia State, and brutal killings in Nimbo, Ehamufu, Ugwogo Nike (Enugu State), and Obinze (Imo State). It further alleged that parts of Enugu, including New Garki and New Artisan Markets, had become criminal hubs allegedly dominated by non-Igbo elements.
The group also accused Soludo of ignoring the roles played by political militia groups and Fulani herdsmen in the state’s security crisis.
However, Nomadic Rights Concern (NORIC), a faith-based human rights advocacy group, lauded Governor Soludo’s comments, describing him as a “presidential material.”
In a statement issued in Abuja by its chairman, Prof. Umar Muhammad Labdo, NORIC praised the governor for his “courageous and honest” declaration. The group said Soludo’s position has “demystified the myth of the Fulani criminal,” calling it a landmark truth that more South-East leaders should emulate.
“We commend Governor Soludo for speaking plainly. This is a wake-up call. The South-East must confront its internal challenges without scapegoating,” the statement said.
The opposing reactions underline the deep-seated divisions surrounding the narrative of insecurity in the South-East, as Nigeria inches closer to the 2027 general elections.
