The Anambra State Police Command has dismissed reports alleging that the state recorded 14 cases of political assassinations between 2022 and 2024.
The report, published by Punch Newspapers and credited to Mr. Salaudeen Hashim, claimed that Anambra had become a hotspot for politically motivated killings. In a swift reaction, the Police Command described the claims as false, misleading, and unfounded.
Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, in a statement issued in Awka on Wednesday, said the Command ordinarily would not have responded to what it termed “baseless allegations,” but chose to do so to preserve public confidence and peace in the state.
“While the State has recorded some security incidents, they were not targeted at any individual, tribe, or political affiliation as mischievously claimed. Rather, they were attacks by criminal elements hiding under the guise of agitators and other non-state actors,” the statement read.
The Command further stressed that the local government areas mentioned in the report as high-risk zones for elections — Ihiala, Ogbaru, Nnewi South, Orumba North, and Onitsha North — had recently hosted peaceful Senatorial and State House of Assembly bye-elections.
Reaffirming its commitment to safety, the Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, noted that joint security operations have significantly reduced violent crimes in the state. “Anambra remains one of the most peaceful states in the South-East,” he assured.
The Command urged residents to disregard the report and continue to collaborate with security agencies by providing credible information. It also appealed to the media to avoid sensational publications that could create unnecessary fear or misrepresent the security situation in the state.
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