The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has raised fresh concerns about the alleged misuse of state-backed security structures in Anambra State, pointing to the recent arrest and detention of a 68-year-old man and members of his family as the latest in a troubling pattern of abuse.
RULAAC said operatives believed to be attached to the Anambra State Vigilante Group (AVG), popularly known as Operation Udo ga Achi, conducted an early morning raid on the home of Chief John Nneli of Umudiani Village, Achalla, in Awka North Local Government Area, taking him, his younger brother, and three of his sons into custody.
According to RULAAC, the operation was reportedly carried out alongside persons involved in a longstanding land dispute with the Nneli family, raising immediate questions about whether state security personnel had been recruited into what is essentially a civil matter.
Family members said they were initially unable to locate the detained men, receiving no information from nearby police stations, before eventually discovering they were being held at the vigilante outfit’s headquarters in Awka.
“The circumstances surrounding this operation raise serious questions about due process, transparency, and the possible involvement of security actors in matters that appear civil in nature,” RULAAC said in a statement dated June 12, 2026.
The organisation linked the incident to a broader pattern of alleged misconduct by security operatives in the state, including a previously reported assault on a female member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) by personnel enforcing the state’s sanitation policy. That incident, which was captured on video and sparked widespread public outrage, drew sharp criticism over the use of excessive force and disregard for citizens’ rights.
RULAAC said it had also received multiple complaints from residents across Anambra alleging arbitrary arrests, extortion, prolonged detention, and the use of security personnel to settle private disputes — including land conflicts, family disagreements, and business matters.
“The primary purpose of the state’s security architecture is to protect citizens from violent crime, kidnapping, armed robbery, and other threats to public safety,” the group said. “It was never intended to become an instrument for advancing private interests or circumventing lawful dispute-resolution mechanisms.”
The group warned that repeated incidents of this nature risked eroding public trust in Anambra’s security institutions, and called on Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s administration to act decisively.
Among its demands, RULAAC called for an independent investigation into the Nneli arrest; a public clarification of the operational mandate of Operation Udo ga Achi; the establishment of a complaints mechanism for citizens to report security misconduct; and mandatory human rights training for all vigilante operatives.
“Governor Soludo’s administration has invested considerable effort in addressing insecurity in Anambra State,” RULAAC said. “These gains must not be undermined by actions that create the perception that security institutions can be appropriated for private purposes.”
The organisation said it would continue to monitor the Nneli case and other reports of alleged abuse of authority by security personnel in the state. #Securitynewsalert.com
