Soludo’s homeland security law dealing with insecurity from roots – says Enemuo

The Anambra State homeland security law by Governor of the state, Prof Chukwuma Soludo has been praised for seeking to tackle insecurity from its root cause.

An indigene of the state and prominent Enugu based lawyer, Mr Chris Chinedu Ezemuo noted this in an interview with FIDES in his office on Saturday.

The law recently launched by the governor has a wide range of far reaching decisions, which include criminalizing native doctors who prepare charms for criminals, houses where kidnapped victims are kept, and obscene display of wealth, among others.

Recently, the state government have demolished houses found to have habouted kidnappers or their victims, while native doctors are currently being hounded.

Speaking on this, Enemuo said: “The homeland security legislation in Anambra State may be aptly called ‘the People’s Stick’.

“The newly introduced Participatory Security Initiative, which includes various transactional components, has effectively integrated ordinary citizens into the broader community policing framework. The government has made considerable progress by involving the community in sustaining this policy model.

“Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s approach to security in Anambra State appears to have rigorously identified the root causes of security challenges and the local factors contributing to them. This has enabled the effective deployment of human resources through initiatives such as bounty hunting and loyalty programs, positioning Anambra’s homeland security legislation as a community empowerment tool, the people’s stick.

“The traditional policing system, is not left out, it plays a significant role in the initiative to foster a crime-free community through a monthly loyalty incentive of 10 million.

“It is evident that the majority of the residents of Anambra have begun to understand the framework of this system. However, continued sensitisation efforts are necessary to ensure that ndi Anambra totally understand rules of engagement, the scope of employment, and the proper methods for collecting loyalty payments and bounties from the designated promisor(s).”

Enemuo said it is left for communities to cooperate with the state governor by adhering to the laws to ensure safety of all. He however advocated sanctions for any community that compromises.

“If from the left end, a community opts to undermine this initiative by aligning with opposing parties to orchestrate a façade of failure or exploit any unfortunate situation, such community would be revealing it’s irresponsibility, unproductiveness, and potential complicity in the broader insecurity challenges faced.