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SOLUDO FACES BACKLASH AFTER SAYING 99% OF ARRESTED KIDNAPPERS ARE IGBO, NOT FULANI
Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has come under fire following comments he made during a speech in Maryland, United States, where he claimed that about 99% of all the arrested kidnappers in the state are Igbos, not Fulani herdsmen.
The statement, made on July 7 during his U.S. visit, has drawn a sharp and damning response from the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), a human rights and advocacy group in Nigeria.
Speaking in Maryland, Governor Soludo claimed, “Out of 99.5% of those arrested by the government in various camps belonging to kidnappers across the state, none is a member of the killer herdsmen.”
He further dismissed security reports about Fulani herdsmen occupying forests in Anambra as “false narratives.”
In a rebuttal signed by the Intersociety Board Chairmen, Emeka Umeagbalasi, the group described the governor’s statement as “reckless,” “vexatious,” and “gravely endangering the security and safety of the State and her citizens.”
“The Governor is gravely endangering the security and safety of the State… especially their present and future safety,” part of the statement read.
“His government’s kid-gloves and lukewarm approaches to jihadist herdsmen and their genocidal activities across the state since the inception of his administration on March 17, 2022, are deeply troubling.”
Intersociety accused Governor Soludo of shielding the killer herdsmen despite evidence of their involvement in violent crimes, claiming they account for “not less than 30% of violent crimes across the State.”
He further alleged that “about 60% or more of forest camps belonging to violent criminals… including armed herdsmen are yet to be accessed or raided by security forces.”
Referencing a media report published on June 23, 2025, Umeagbalasi said Anambra State has been listed among 11 states that embraced the Nigerian government’s cattle ranching plan, a move he described as “blind, selfish and strongly condemnable.”
The group warned of the long-term consequences of the state’s alleged complicity.
“Anambra State… now sits on a keg of jihadist gunpowder… with grave dangers,” the statement warned.
The group also pointed to a specific incident in April 2024, where a family of three was abducted and allegedly raped by herdsmen in the Ukwulu forest.
Intersociety claimed that after being alerted, the state government denied the incident and labelled it a “concocted narrative.”
Umeagbalasi added, “His assertion that ‘none of the 99.5% of those arrested in Anambra State is a member of killer herdsmen’… does not hold water, especially against the backdrop of intelligence bias and lack of credible forensic capabilities by the State.”
The group further alleged that in 2021, a senior official in Soludo’s government was accused of facilitating land acquisitions for herdsmen in various Anambra communities, including Awka North and South, Ayamelum, and Dunukofia.
Despite commending Soludo’s efforts in improving roads and providing free education, Intersociety maintained that “the worst and most dangerous part” of his administration is its alleged role in bringing the herdsmen ranching agenda to the South-East, potentially at the cost of future security and cultural survival.
