In Anambra State, hoodlums have been regularly attacking public buildings over the last few months, targeting Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) offices, police stations, and local government secretariats. These assaults have resulted in loss of lives and property, and the security operatives have been unable to provide a solution to the growing menace. Residents fear that, if unchecked, the violence could jeopardise the peaceful conduct of the forthcoming general elections in the affected communities.
Communities such as Ihiala, Nnewi South, Idemili South, Ogbaru, and Orumba have been repeatedly hit by these rampaging groups. Public facilities belonging to INEC and security formations have suffered severe damage, yet the police have yet to identify or unmask any of the gunmen, who remain “yet‑to‑be‑identified assailants.” The perpetrators continue to act with impunity, especially against security formations.
The most recent wave of attacks occurred on the nights of February 1, 2, and 3, 2023. On February 1, the assailants set fire to the Ojoto Local Government Secretariat and the INEC office on its premises, and they also attacked a police station in the neighboring Nnobi community, using a petrol bomb. A 16‑year‑old boy was killed during the exchange of gunfire between police and the armed men. The following day, the hoodlums burned down the anti‑cult unit in Obosi, Idemili South, with improvised explosive devices, killing a police officer and a vigilante. On February 3, the Abagana Police Station in the same local government area was attacked; although the police prevented entry, the hoodlums had earlier murdered two vigilante operatives on their way to the station. Additionally, hoodlums killed four security operatives attached to Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa in Ihiala while they were traveling to Abia State.
State police spokesman DSP Tochukwu Ikenga confirmed the attacks and said the situation is being monitored. He noted that the hoodlums operate in large, heavily armed groups, but no further updates have been provided, prompting community calls for a total overhaul of Anambra’s security architecture. INEC National Commissioner Festus Okoye reported that 1,240 non‑sensitive items were burnt during the attack on the Obosi office. When our correspondent visited the Ojoto secretariat, the burnt INEC office—located at the back of several other buildings—was locked, its roof blown off, and deserted, despite voters waiting nearby for their Permanent Voter Cards. Residents believe the attack was deliberate, intended to instil fear and discourage voting.
Chief Ifeanyi Okoro, a community leader in Ojoto, appealed to both state and federal governments to deploy well‑trained security operatives to handle “bandit attacks” ahead of the election, especially in frontline LGAs. He argued that the police lack the capacity to confront the hoodlums, who he says operate from forest camps in the border areas of Anambra, Imo, and Enugu states. A security guard at the secretariat described how the attackers encircled the area, opened fire sporadically, and then set the INEC office ablaze without resistance.
Conversely, Nnobi resident and Onitsha lawyer Mrs. Josephine Agha blamed security operatives for the surge in coordinated attacks, claiming the police have lost the bite needed to tackle the menace and are unwilling to protect lives and property beyond their comfort zones. She praised recent anti‑crime efforts by Governor Prof. Chukwuma Soludo but urged authorities to move beyond rhetoric, noting that the hoodlums continue to unleash terror while security forces appear overwhelmed.
Raphael Udeh, Public Relations Officer of the Igbo United Front in Anambra, condemned the attacks and highlighted the erosion of public confidence in the region’s security architecture. He noted that over 50 public facilities have been attacked in the past two months, including the governor’s hometown, and called for urgent action by Police Commissioner Echeng Echeng. James Uko, convener of the South‑East Security Forum, linked the rise in attacks to hijacked Biafran agitations, stating that criminal elements, armed with guns stolen from police in 2021, now perpetrate these assaults to create fear and further their agenda.
When contacted again, Ikenga did not confirm any arrests related to the February incidents, but said heavy security patrols have been deployed and normalcy is returning. Press Secretary to the Anambra State governor, Chris Aburime, indicated that the state government will soon issue a statement on the developments.
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