By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The Anambra State Police Command has debunked a report credited to one Mr. Salaudeen Hashim and published by Punch Newspapers, which alleged that the state had witnessed fourteen political assassinations between 2022 and 2024.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Tochukwu Ikenga, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, the Command described the publication as false, misleading, and unfounded. It further dismissed the claim as a product of the writer’s imagination.
According to the statement, the Command ordinarily would not have dignified such baseless allegations with a response. However, it explained that clarifying the matter became necessary to safeguard public confidence, sustain the relative peace being enjoyed across Anambra State, and correct the wrong impression the publication may have created.
The Command acknowledged that Anambra, like other states in the country, has recorded isolated security incidents in the past, but firmly stressed that none of those incidents amounted to politically motivated killings. Rather, it said they were criminal attacks often perpetrated by non-state actors, including self-styled agitators and other elements described as common enemies of the State.
SP Ikenga noted that security agencies have consistently confronted and dismantled such groups, resulting in a significant reduction of violent crimes in recent times. He pointed out that Anambra remains one of the most peaceful states in the South-East, contrary to the false picture painted by the Punch publication.
The Police Command also drew attention to the specific local government areas listed in the publication as high-risk zones where elections allegedly could not hold, including Ihiala, Ogbaru, Nnewi South, Orumba North, and Onitsha North. It stressed that the claim was mischievous and malicious, citing the fact that peaceful bye-elections for the Anambra South Senatorial seat and the State House of Assembly were peacefully and successfully conducted in some of those areas without violence few weeks ago.
“The Command, in collaboration with sister security agencies, has remained proactive and relentless in addressing such threats. Our operations have significantly reduced violent crimes across the State and Anambra remains one of the most peaceful States in the South-East,” the Command stated, urging the public to disregard the report.
Reassuring Ndi Anambra, CP Orutugu reiterated the Command’s commitment to protecting lives and property across the State. He emphasized that the Police, working in collaboration with sister security agencies, will continue to maintain a proactive posture against any threat to peace and security.
The CP further appealed to media practitioners to avoid sensational publications capable of generating fear or distorting the true security situation in the State. He urged journalists to verify facts and support security agencies in their efforts to keep Anambra safe.
Concluding, the Command encouraged residents to continue partnering with the Police by providing credible and timely information to aid in the fight against crime, while assuring them that the false claims of political assassinations have no basis in fact.
