By Ovat Abeng
Anambra State government has debunked report making the round that it has banned vigilante operations in all the 179 communities in the state.
The Special Adviser to the state governor, Chukwuma Charles Soludo on Community Security, Prince Kenneth Emeakayi, who debunked the report while speaking to Journalists at his office in Awka on Thursday, said the government only changed the name and identity of the group to the newly established security outfit, call “Agunechemba”.
He said the laws establishing the Anambra Vigilante Groups ( AVG) in 2014 have been repealed adding that the only legal security outfit mandated by the Anambra State government to operate at the local government areas and community levels is the Agunechemba Security Squad officially unveiled by governor Soludo, early last year.
READ ALSO: Anambra Bishops beg Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu
Emeakayi said the government only banned the name Anambra Vigilante Group (AVG), it identity and way of operation and not the employees itself as being wrongly reported by the press.
“For clarity, repealing of the law that established it doesn’t mean stopping the security employees with valid means of identification from operation.
According to him, the office of the security adviser to governor Soludo on community matters headed by me, don’t banned AVG operatives. The true story is that what we have earlier in Anambra State was AVG with a law enacted by the State House of Assembly and signed by then , governor Willie Obiano. But now the Anambra State Homeland Security Law 2025 under section 39 has repealed the AVG law, meaning that the state can’t longer have two laws at the same time and on the same subject matter. What we have now according to the new law is “Agunechemba security outfit”
“Section 38 of the same new law, said and I quote, “every existing vigilante unit in the state at the command of this law shall continue in operation but shall transit from AVG to Agunechemba with proper documentation and licenses.
“We don’t want to see any vehicle branded with AVG logo anymore or security employee wearing T-shirt or face-cap with AVG inscription anywhere around Anambra State. Agunechemba is the new security outfit dueling recognized at the moment in the state.
“Agunechemba, aimed to sanitize the state by targeting “quacks,” criminal native doctors, and individuals using magic or illegal means for wealth (e.g., Yahoo Plus). It empowers security agencies to combat crime and allows the state to seize properties used as bases for criminal activities, including those harboring child beggars.
“We are not stopping any private security company with proper documentation from operating in the state
“We are doing all this changes to checkmate infiltrations. The name AVG has been hijacked by criminals due to improper documentations.
“We are doing this to protect lives and property of Ndi-Anambra and in line with governor Soludo’s vision of making Anambra a destination hub of Nigeria by 2070, Emeakayi,” concluded.
