Growing allegations of brutality, extrajudicial killings, extortion, unlawful arrests, and abuse of power by local security operatives now fuel concern across Anambra State. While residents acknowledge the gains made in tackling insecurity, many now accuse them of violating citizens’ rights with impunity, raising questions about accountability, respect for the rule of law, and the impact of such actions on public trust in the agencies established to protect them. CHIJIOKE IREMEKA reports

Despite the strides recorded by the Anambra State Homeland Security outfit, Agunechemba, and its enforcement arm, Udo-Ga-Achi (meaning Peace Shall Reign), allegations of rights violations, brutality, and extortion are mounting at an alarming rate.

Sunday PUNCH gathered that the operatives have earned a reputation for bravery in confronting criminal elements, winning admiration from many residents and the state government.

In one of their most commendable operations, Udo-Ga-Achi operatives, which is mainly a joint security task force comprising personnel from various security agencies in the state, embarked on a mission to reclaim Osumohu, a community in Idemili South Local Government Area that had long been deserted following repeated attacks by suspected gunmen.

Their assignment was to supervise the peaceful return of residents who had fled their ancestral homes in search of safety.

Sunday PUNCH learnt that the operatives came under attack during the operation but held their ground, even when Nigerian Army personnel stationed on the access road reportedly declined to enter the community.

However, despite these successes, concerns remain over what many residents describe as widespread rights violations and abuses committed during some of their operations.

Our correspondent gathered that the allegations are not limited to Homeland Security and Udo-Ga-Achi operatives.

Residents also accused police officers as well as Anambra State Traffic Management Agency.

Of widespread extortion, unlawful arrests, illegal detention, abuse of rights and, in some cases, framing innocent citizens.

They alleged that some operatives employ excessive force and unconventional weapons to inflict physical punishment on suspects, in total disregard of established legal procedures.

Residents noted that the security operatives require closer monitoring, stronger supervision, and continuous training to ensure they operate in line with internationally accepted policing standards while respecting the rights of the citizens they are mandated to protect.

Meanwhile, security experts attributed the situation partly to the zeal with which the operatives confront insecurity, saying that, without adequate oversight, some have resorted to arbitrary violations of citizens’ rights.

Flogging, cutting suspects with machetes

In one of the most disturbing incidents, a viral video circulated online showed Udo-Ga-Achi operatives allegedly assaulting civilians at the Ogidi Building Materials Market in Idemili North Local Government Area over the theft of tyres from a vehicle parked on the street.

In the footage reviewed by Sunday PUNCH, the operatives were seen wielding guns and unconventional weapons, including cutlasses and sticks, and using them to physically assault non-violent and non-resisting suspects.

The brutalised suspects were forced into an overcrowded pick-up van, while their mobile phones were confiscated. In one instance, the squad commander, identified as Awotolo, was seen allegedly cutting a suspect with a machete during the operation.

Investigations by Sunday PUNCH revealed that Awotolo serves as the Udo-Ga-Achi commander for Idemili North Local Government Area, with his base in Iyi-Enu, Ogidi.

The Incident sparked widespread outrage, with many residents demanding an investigation into the conduct of the operatives and accountability for those involved.

However, authorities have yet to issue a detailed statement on the incident.

Another unidentified operative, who appeared to have a severely curved leg, was also seen threatening to cut one of the suspects with a machete after repeatedly flogging him with the same weapon.

Sunday PUNCH gathered that more than 34 people were arrested during the operation. After allegedly being subjected to degrading treatment, they were taken to the Ogidi Divisional Police Station, where they reportedly paid varying sums to secure their release.

It was gathered that while some paid N30,000, others paid N50,000.

“They demanded N500,000 before they would release the last group of eight people still in police custody. This is the height of the extortion and abuse we suffer here. The police connive with the homeland security outfit to exploit us,” said Philip Udo, a resident who claimed to have experienced such extortion.

According to him, those arrested were mechanics whose workshops happened to be close to where the tyres were stolen.

Another eyewitness, Samuel Oguejiofor, also maintained that those arrested were not thieves but automobile mechanics whose only connection to the incident was the location of their workshops.

“They were arrested and taken to the Ogidi Divisional Police Station in Nkwelle Ogidi. The video you saw is only the tip of the iceberg. These people operate with so much impunity. They have no regard for the law. Whether they are police officers, Udo-Ga-Achi, or SASA operatives, their conduct is horrible.

“They arrest and extort people indiscriminately. The worst part is that the governor is either unaware of these abuses or is not doing anything about them. We no longer feel safe in this state,” he alleged.

Oguejiofor also recounted another incident in which SASA operatives, popularly known as Ndi Aka-Odo (wooden-pestle-wielding men), allegedly tortured a resident over a minor disagreement and used a wooden pestle to dislocate his knee.

Masked operatives mistaken for kidnappers

In another incident highlighting concerns over the conduct of the operatives, a United Kingdom-based Nigerian returnee (name withheld) was allegedly shot at by masked Udo-Ga-Achi operatives in Nnewi after mistaking them for kidnappers.

Narrating the incident, his younger brother, Chika, said, “One evening, while my brother, who had just returned from the UK, was driving home, masked Udo-Ga-Achi operatives flagged him down. He stopped initially, but when one of them asked him to come down and ‘see the oga,’ he believed they were kidnappers because they were masked, so he sped off.

“As he drove away, they pursued him and opened fire. Bullets ripped through his car, and the tyres of his Lexus RX 350 were riddled with bullets.”

He said the victim eventually drove to their father’s house, abandoned the vehicle at the gate, and fled on foot, convinced he had escaped an attempted kidnapping.

According to Chika, the operatives seized the vehicle, and it was only the following day that the family learnt they were Udo-Ga-Achi personnel and not kidnappers.

“They later told him he would have to repair their vehicle, claiming it was damaged during the chase. They even presented him with a list of repairs, despite the fact that there was no visible damage to their vehicle, while my brother’s SUV sustained extensive damage.”

“The tyres were punctured by bullets, and he was fortunate to have survived. He insisted that the confusion arose because the operatives were masked, which made him believe they were kidnappers.”

Following the incident, a prominent human rights activist, Kasie Obi, called on the authorities to prohibit security operatives in Anambra from wearing masks while on duty.

He warned that members of the public could easily mistake armed kidnappers for Udo-Ga-Achi operatives, or vice versa, with potentially fatal consequences.

The spreading brutality

Although Agunechemba and its enforcement arm, Udo-Ga-Achi, were established to combat crime and improve public safety, several reported incidents have raised serious questions about their adherence to the rule of law and respect for human rights.

Sunday PUNCH reports that human rights are fundamental freedoms and protections guaranteed to every individual, irrespective of status, religion, gender, or ethnicity.

Rights advocates argue that while maintaining security is essential, it must be pursued within the confines of the law and with respect for the constitutional rights of citizens.

They warned that extrajudicial killings, torture, arbitrary arrests, and extortion undermine the rule of law and erode public confidence in institutions established to protect lives and property.

One of the most publicised cases involved the assault and public stripping of a female member of the National Youth Service Corps, Jennifer Elobor, in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area, by Udo-Ga-Achi operatives.

A viral video showed the operatives physically assaulting and humiliating the corps member during an operation, sparking widespread outrage and condemnation from Nigerians, who described the incident as a gross violation of human dignity and constitutional rights.

When contacted, the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed to Sunday PUNCH that the operatives involved had been arrested, dismissed from the outfit, and remanded in custody.

In another case reported by The PUNCH in April 2025, a yet-to-be-identified Agunechemba operative allegedly shot and killed Chiamaka Okeke while attempting to clear traffic for the outfit’s convoy.

The Incident occurred at the busy Ibeto Junction in Nnewi, Nnewi North Local Government Area, and marked the second fatal shooting allegedly linked to the operatives within a short period, following the reported killing of another woman in March at a market in the Mgbakwu community, Awka North Local Government Area.

Recently, Anambra police detained six officers of the Okpoko Police Division in Onitsha over the alleged extortion of N200,000 from a victim through a Point-of-Sale operator.

Their detention followed a viral video in which the victim’s wife narrated how her husband was harassed, handcuffed, and forced to part with the said amount.

“My husband was stopped by some policemen under the Upper Iweka Flyover, Onitsha–Awka, along the Enugu Expressway, while returning from the Relief Market, where he had gone to purchase drinks with his bus.

“The police demanded the vehicle’s documents, which he presented, and they were valid. Despite the documents being in order, the officers asked why the bus was painted white and directed him to meet their ‘oga’ inside their patrol vehicle.

“When my husband approached the vehicle, the officers surrounded, handcuffed him and seized his phone. They drove him to an unknown destination, where he was accused of being a thief and said he must pay N500,000 for his release,” she said.

According to the woman, her frightened husband was forced to eventually transfer N200,000 through a PoS operator invited by the officers before his eventual release.

Another voice-over in the video alleged that the officers routinely forced other victims to pay similar amounts.

EndSARS protest and emergence of homeland security

Sunday PUNCH learnt that the deterioration of security in Anambra State is traceable to the 2020 EndSARS protests. The demonstrations, which began as peaceful protests against police brutality, turned violent in several parts of the country after security operatives opened fire on protesters.

In the ensuing chaos, some angry youths retaliated by attacking police officers and government facilities.

During that period, several police officers were killed, including one whose beheading became a symbol of the escalating violence.

“Hoodlums exploited the breakdown of law and order to launch further attacks on police personnel and stations. As a result, police officers abandoned many checkpoints and drastically reduced patrols across major roads and communities in Anambra State for fear of being attacked,” Anambra resident and lawyer, Gozie Ikpeama, told our correspondent.

He recalled that the absence of visible policing created a security vacuum, and when communities reported incidents requiring police intervention, officers were often reluctant to respond.

“They feared that calls to locations outside police stations could be ambushes designed to lure and kill them. Consequently, many officers insisted that complainants report cases at police stations rather than expecting officers to visit crime scenes.

“The situation contributed to a surge in criminal activities, including kidnapping, armed robbery, and cult-related violence,” Ikpeama added.

Another resident, who is a local government official, Sammy Igboanugo, told our correspondent that while crime remained high, former Governor Willie Obiano managed to complete his tenure before Governor Chukwuma Soludo assumed office.

He noted that worsening insecurity, growing distrust in the police, rising cases of kidnapping, and the activities of criminal groups prompted the Soludo administration to seek a desperate new approach to the problem.

“The state government approached the Anambra State House of Assembly, which enacted the Homeland Security Law, establishing the state-controlled security outfit known as Agunechemba.

“At its inception, Agunechemba earned public support by confronting major security threats and recording successes against criminal elements.

“The outfit was widely praised for restoring confidence in security operations, particularly in areas where conventional policing had become ineffective,” he said.

He, however, noted that as the outfit gained popularity and its powers expanded, accountability weakened, and the increased authority enjoyed by some operatives created opportunities for abuse, with reports of corruption, intimidation, and extortion emerging.

“In contrast, Agunechemba operatives are perceived as more willing to enter such communities, where police dare not go, secure arrests, and restore order,” Igboanugo added.

Colluding with ARTMA, SASA

A commercial bus driver in the state, Arinze Nwoyingbo, alleged that the traffic agency, ARTMA, and the state Special Anti-Touting Squad collude with the local security outfit to attack commercial drivers at bus stops with machetes, wooden pestles, and iron rods while passengers are alighting.

He said, “I parked at a bus stop at Upper Iweka to drop off passengers when suddenly the operatives rushed at me. They asked me to come down from the vehicle. When I refused, they forced me out and started flogging me with the flattened part of their machetes.

“They collected my car keys, chased the passengers out, and drove the vehicle away. They inflicted several injuries on me. This is not fair. We are begging the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, to look into the activities of these men. We are duly registered, and we pay our dues as and when due. If they continue harassing us, how do we make the money to pay our dues and earn our daily bread?

“Other drivers were attacked, too. They claimed that we were parking in the wrong place, but it is not true. We parked at the designated bus stops; they are only looking for an avenue to extort us. This is barbaric. How can the ARTMA and anti-touting operatives be carrying dangerous weapons and using them to inflict injuries on people?” he queried.

According to him, he has seen how the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority operates in Lagos, saying that its officials do not carry weapons against drivers.

He wondered why its counterpart in Anambra is different, to the point of beating motorists and wielding dangerous weapons as if they were herding cattle.

He, however, called on the governor to intervene and save them from intimidation by the anti-touting squad and ARTMA in the state.

“I don’t know why they continue to beat us when we have committed no offence. My vehicle is registered to ply this route. I have been paying all my levies and taxes to the government as and when due. We are unjustly suffering in the hands of the ARTMA and the anti-touting squad in this state,” he added.

Residents seek authorities’, CSOs’ intervention

Following the alleged widespread abuses in the state, Anambra residents are seeking the intervention of Governor Soludo and civil society organisations to address the rising cases of rights abuses.

Many of them acknowledged the role Udo-Ga-Achi has played in tackling kidnapping, armed robbery, and other violent crimes in the state, but alleged that some operatives have exceeded their mandate, creating fear among law-abiding citizens.

Speaking to our correspondent, Benjamin Okpara said they were worried that innocent people had become victims of harassment and unlawful detention without proper investigation.

“We urge the state government to strengthen oversight and ensure that officers found guilty of misconduct are sanctioned in accordance with the law.

“We also call on human rights organisations, including civil society groups, to independently investigate allegations of abuse and provide legal support to victims seeking justice. While restoring security remains a priority, it should not come at the expense of citizens’ constitutional rights.

“We want security, but we also want justice and respect for human rights. The government should ensure that no security outfit operates above the law,” he said.

Furthermore, a rights advocate, Bridget Obum, urged the governor to establish effective monitoring mechanisms, improve accountability within the security outfit, and ensure that every allegation of misconduct is thoroughly investigated to maintain public confidence in the state’s security architecture and, by extension, the police in the state.

We’ll get justice for the victims – Police

When contacted to comment on the viral video showing alleged brutality by Udo-Ga-Achi operatives, the excessive use of force, and alleged extortion by the police and homeland security operatives in Ogidi, the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said he had yet to see the video and urged our correspondent to send it to him, which he did.

Ikenga, however, assured Sunday PUNCH that justice would be served for the victims of the alleged brutality, saying he would escalate the matter to the leadership of the outfit to identify the operatives involved.

“I spoke with the leadership of the market in question, and if they had received such a report, they would have informed me. Unless the incident occurred without their knowledge, I am not aware of it.

“If you have any information, let me know so I can reach the appropriate authorities. I also encourage members of the public to come forward with complaints. I will ensure that every genuine complaint is properly investigated and that justice is served,” he said.

According to the PPRO, Agunechemba personnel, like police officers and members of other security agencies, are not angels, “but we shouldn’t allow the unprofessional conduct of one or a few individuals to define the entire outfit or the homeland security agency as a whole.”

He added, “Those officers you mentioned who maltreated the NYSC member were handed over to us after they were identified by the leadership of Agunechemba. They have since been dismissed from the outfit and remanded in prison.

“Generally speaking, I would say we are not where we ought to be, but we are no longer where we used to be. There is still room for improvement, not only for Agunechemba but for the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies as well.”

Ikenga also confirmed that the officers, including two assistant superintendents of police and four inspectors, involved in the alleged N200,000 extortion in Onitsha had been arrested and detained.

He added that the money allegedly collected from the victim had been returned, describing the development as a serious indictment and evidence of unprofessional conduct by the officers.

“The command has also initiated steps to arrest the alleged PoS operator in Onitsha, whose involvement suggests possible conspiracy in the incident,” the PPRO added.

Agunechemba reacts

When contacted on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, to respond to allegations of widespread rights violations and extrajudicial killings, the Chief Commandant of Agunechemba and Special Adviser to Governor Chukwuma Soludo on Community Security, Mr Ken Emeakayi, claimed he had not seen the video.

He requested that the video be sent to him and promised to call our correspondent back. However, after hours without a response, our correspondent called him again.

He answered and said he would call back, explaining that he was in the studio.

However, the following day, Thursday, July 2, our correspondent called him four times at different intervals, but he did not answer.

Our correspondent also sent him a text message, but he had yet to respond as of the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, in an earlier statement, he warned operatives against wearing masks while on duty in the state, saying criminals could also wear masks and abduct people while members of the public would mistake them for Agunechemba operatives.

“If you are caught wearing a mask while on patrol in Anambra State, you will be arrested immediately. Why would you wear a mask while carrying out your duty if you don’t have ulterior motives?

““What, then, is the difference between you and those kidnapping people if the public cannot tell the difference because you are wearing a mask? You cannot wear a mask and then try to stop someone in a vehicle. Kidnappers could also wear masks, motorists would stop for them, and afterwards Agunechemba would be blamed for abducting them,” Emeakayi warned Agunechemba security commanders.

Operatives need training, retraining

A security expert, Paul Obuseh, said for the homeland security outfit to be civil enough to deal with the public without rights violations and extortion, the government must prioritise the training and retraining of its operatives.

“Also, the government should be strict regarding standards and ensure that the public is respected at all times, even when crimes are being investigated. Remember that every suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction,” he added. (Sunday PUNCH)