Anambra State Commissioner for Homeland Security, Chikodili Anara has denied an allegation against him by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), that he was using state security operatives, Anambra Vigilante Service to cause insecurity in the state.
IPOB had through a press statement signed by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful levelled numerous allegations against Anara.
But the commissioner in his reaction, which was made available to newsmen in Awka, revealed that IPOB and Emma Powerful were on a blackmail mission after several attempts to extort money from him.
The commissioner also named two of his kinsmen (names withheld) as those sponsoring Powerful against him after he wrote a petition against them over a murder charge, for which they were arrested and detained before they allegedly bribed their way out and fled the country.
He said: “In 2022, Emma Powerful called me and told me he had a story against me. He demanded that I paid him money to drop the publication. He later called again and told me the same story, which I ignored.
“He has been out to blackmail me and has been calling me since then, and I have told him expressly that I will never part with a Kobo to him.
“Today, he has gotten his friends, two brothers who are involved in a murder case here in Isuaniocha, Awka North Local Government Area, (names withheld), and they are sponsoring him to write against me.
“I’m not surprised about the write-up. The truth is that Emma Powerful (Whoever his is) is doing a paid job. I have severally invited him if he is genuine, to come for a meeting, if he thinks he can help solve the problem of insecurity we are facing in the state.
“I need to inform Emma Powerful that the Anambra Vigilante Group (AVG), has existed for many years before I came into office and was not created because of IPOB which is a new and recent creation.”
Anara is the commissioner for homeland security, a ministry that works directly with the indigenous security outfit of the state, Anambra Vigilante Services, which has been greatly applauded for helping police and other security outfits in the state to tackle insecurity.
The group recently apprehended and handed over some criminals in the state to the police. Anambra State Police commissioner, CP Echeng Echeng described the apprehended criminals as members of IPOB’s militant arm, Eastern Security Network
