Soludo says majority of arrested kidnappers in Anambra are Igbo, not Fulani

Chukwuma Soludo, governor of Anambra State, says nearly all individuals arrested for kidnapping and related crimes in the state over the past three years are of Igbo descent.

Speaking at a town hall meeting with Anambra citizens living abroad, in New Carrollton, Maryland, USA, the governor challenged the long-held assumption that Fulani herders were responsible for violent crimes in the south-east.

“In the past three years and three months, out of every 100 people we’ve apprehended for kidnapping or criminal activities, 99.99% are Igbo youths,” Soludo said.

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He said that while he initially subscribed to the popular belief that herders were behind the attacks, investigations and arrests have proven otherwise.

According to the governor, the misleading narrative created a false sense of external threat that ultimately encouraged some local youths to take up kidnapping as a profitable venture, following trends like internet fraud and drug trafficking.

“These criminal groups are run by our own people, and the so-called kidnappers’ camps that security forces have uncovered are manned by Igbos,” Soludo stated.

He also disclosed that the criminal enterprise has attracted individuals from neighbouring states who now refer to kidnapping in Anambra as “the Anambra job,” explaining that these outsiders often purchase motorcycles, undergo training in forest hideouts, and later pose as Fulani when caught.

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“We went into the forest thinking we were confronting invaders. But no one asked how the so-called liberators survive there for months. Who feeds them?” the governor asked.

He called on Anambra indigenes in the diaspora to play a role in addressing the problem by investing in their communities and supporting local development.

“Let it be clear: 99.99% of those arrested for these crimes are Igbos, these criminal networks are homegrown,” he said.