Spurious native doctors, yahoo boys, and kidnappers who fled Anambra State in the South-East following the clampdown on their illegal activities by the Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, have turned the bordering Asaba, capital of Delta State, and environs in the South-South region into a haven.

Since last year, when the Anambra State government turned the heat on them, there has been a perceptible incursion of all manner of delinquents into Asaba and surrounding neighborhoods, including the Ibusa, Okpanam, Issele-Azagba, Ugbolu, Akwukwu-Igbo, and Azagba?Ogwashi?Uku communities.

Prof. Soludo, in his bid to stamp out what he described as ?lucrative criminality,? unleashed Operation Udo Ga Achi and Agunechemba (a security outfit) in the state with a combined team of federal security agencies on the gangsters and those who abet them.

He also took measures targeting fraudulent native doctors to reduce the get-rich-quick syndrome and the inordinate use of spiritual powers, mostly among youths.

The government?s ban on deceitful traditional practices in Anambra triggered an exodus of native doctors and Ezenwanyis (female native doctors) from Anambra State into Asaba.

The Ezenwanyis allegedly perform sacrifices for the yahoo- yahoo boys and other criminals, especially those in pursuit of quick wealth and other spiritual matters.

They (female native doctors) heralded the latest influx of their male counterparts in Asaba.

The infiltrators who sought refuge in Asaba have turned the ancient city and its surroundings into a launchpad for their dangerous and ungodly operations.

Some streets in Asaba, Ugbolu, and other communities are inundated with newly built shrines by the pseudo native doctors.

Indeed, the terrifying drift has turned Asaba, which was once a peaceful city, into a horror city.

On December 24, 2024, gangsters who had migrated to Asaba from Anambra State abducted and killed Hon. Justice Azuka, a lawmaker representing Onitsha 1 Constituency, as he made his way home for Christmas along the Ugwunaobankpa Road in Onitsha, Anambra State.

?After kidnapping Hon. Azuka, they contacted a nurse suspected to be a girlfriend of one of the kidnappers, who lives in Asaba, to help them withdraw about N100 million from the lawmaker?s bank accounts,? according to a source with knowledge of the incident.

On December 26, 2024, two days after his abduction and forcefully withdrawing his money, they shot him twice in the head. He died.

Asaba is also home to the local physician who made charms for the gangsters. Strange enough, it was later that security personnel discovered that the gang?s lynchpin lives in Asaba at the shrine of the local physician.

?Of the six boys the police have arrested, none is older than 30 years. The native doctor and nurse were later taken into custody by the police, who also closed her Asaba medicine store.

Except for two at the Bridgehead, every other suspect was apprehended in Asaba after a furious gunfight.

?Two pump-action rifles were among the operational weapons that security personnel found hidden by the kidnappers inside the premises of the Osadenis Secondary School in Asaba, the capital of Delta State, without the teachers and students knowing.

?It is unbelievable that the gangsters hide their weapons in a government-owned institution, which suggests that the school either has a relaxed security, porous entry and exit points, and possibly overgrown by bush in some parts,? our informant revealed.

?One of the main suspects admitted that no one hired them to kidnap Hon. Azuka, but he ran into the group while they were in operation,? our source hinted.

Security guards discovered the lawmaker?s decomposing body and three more remains on the 2nd Niger Bridge early on February 6, 2025.

Before being caught, the suspects lived opulently in Asaba, using the proceeds from their illicit activities.

The other criminals who were able to avoid detection have continued their notorious activities and lifestyle in Asaba and the surrounding areas.

They use abduction techniques different from the Fulani killer-herdsmen/kidnappers, who take their victims into the forests. Once their hostages have been taken to hiding places on the outskirts of their locations, they demand a ransom, and compel victims to transfer the money into bank accounts of their agents.

An Asaba-based businessman and landlord from the southeastern part of the country, Mr. Daniel Ezeigbo, told the Saturday Vanguard, ?I have been in Asaba since 2007. Before this new trend of criminals coming from the East, Asaba was a calm place to live in.?

?Many people from the Southeast found Asaba to be a safe place to live and invest after the increase in criminal activity in the eastern region. Every town has crime, but roughly seven years ago, a group called Hustling Kingdom (HH) appeared in Asaba. Another variation of street urchins that operate while wearing masks is HH.

?Ezenwanyis and male native doctors from outside Asaba began infiltrating the city when some criminals began performing yahoo rituals in 2021, roughly three or four years ago.

?There is a boom; some parents even buy their children iPhones and laptops so they can sign up for Yahoo-Yahoo, but the police and other security agencies are not keeping a close eye on things.

?Many young men in Asaba do not want to go to school or even learn skilled work; they only want to engage in yahoo-yahoo.

?And to carry on with their practices, Ezenwayis and other native doctors from the states of Anambra, Imo, Abia, and Enugu invaded Asaba.

Yahoo-yahoo caused a lot of distractions for our children.

?Our children, both boys and girls, have been distracted by Yahoo-yahoo a lot, but I will say that the Delta State government did nothing about it before the most recent wave of criminals from Anambra State.

?A two-bedroom apartment in Asaba costs between N700,000 and N1 million in 2023?2024, while the average rent for a three-bedroom apartment was N250,000 in 2018. Some even shell out N2 million.

?The government and security forces claim to be in control of the situation, but they are not. My friend was kidnapped from the Okpanam community in the Oshimili North local government area not long ago, and the family was instructed to take the hostage to the Otulu community in the Aniocha South local government area.

?The majority of kidnappings now happen in the surrounding communities, but in the past, they mostly happened in Asaba, which is in the Oshimili South local government area.

?The rise in criminal activity in Asaba can be attributed to the offensive against criminals in Anambra State. Thus, Delta State?s government should launch an offensive to root out the criminals in Asaba and the surrounding areas.

?The fact that kidnappers and murderous herdsmen have infiltrated the bushes and forests of many communities to launch attacks and abduct victims is further harmful to the state.

?Because of the extravagant lifestyles of some politicians and powerful people, many young girls and boys joined Yahoo-Yahoo in an attempt to emulate their wealth and popularity.

?Additionally, the state government ought to enact laws mandating that landlords know the identity and occupation of every tenant in Asaba apartments. People who offer Asaba landlords N2 million for two or three bedrooms are criminals. Funny enough, the greedy landlords don?t inquire about their sources of income.

?As a landlord, you provided the bad boys with a place to stay without question, leaving the law-abiding citizen behind because he was unable to pay the outrageous rent.

?I am not pleased with the current state of security in Asaba, which is appalling. The media should persuade the governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, to invite the leaders of the state?s security agencies to create a strategy to prevent the unchecked flow of criminal activity into Asaba and the surrounding areas.

We are not safe ? Jonathan and Ndubuisi, two locals

Speaking to the Saturday Vanguard, worried residents of Asaba and the nearby communities expressed concern about the influx of criminals from Anambra State into Delta State.

The fact that Asaba has become a center for these activities is the most alarming part of all of this, according to resident Mr. Jonathan. Asaba?s closeness to the east of the nation via the Onitsha corridor has led to a wide range of activities.

?Asaba was not what they have turned it into in recent times,? stated businessman Mr. Anayo Ndubuisi. A few years ago, a lot of Nollywood celebrities decided to live and work in Asaba, but now the city is dangerous due to the criminals.

?I am furious that the police have done nothing pragmatic to stop these boys, who operate essentially unopposed.

?I beg our governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, to keep us safe from the intruders from Anambra State. I also plead that he save us from the rapacious herdsmen and kidnappers who have taken over the forests of numerous communities across the state, particularly in the Delta North senatorial district, and then come out to kidnap people. In Asaba and the surrounding towns, we are no longer secure.?

Asagba of Asaba yells at fake native doctors; others

Bothered by the spine-chilling development, the Asagba of Asaba, HRM Prof. Epiphany Azinge, banned the activities of ezenwanyis and declared an ?Operation Know Your Tenants? in Asaba.

At a press conference in his palace, the Asagba declared, ?We cannot sit and watch things unfold in the way and manner that are detrimental to the peace and well-being of our land.?

?We are not strangers to the developments across the Niger, especially in Anambra State. The pointers and the evidence are so clear that most of the people dislodged or dislocated from across the Niger are finding Asaba a haven at this point.

?That is why we want to be a little bit more proactive, and I believe that the government of the day will be supportive and take the lead as and when the need arises.

?With dismay, we note that the lawmaker who was killed in Anambra, there are pointers to the fact that money was cleared in Asaba. The native doctor and the shrine that harbored the kingpin were in Asaba, and so on. It is not pleasing to our ears that Asaba will become the meeting point of this whole saga.

?Consequently, we have decided that there are certain things we can do to ensure that there is peace and order in this land. First, you must have heard that we have banned the activities of ezewanyis, who are unknown to us, but suddenly they have taken over the land.

?Their activities, I dare say, are considered nefarious. They seem to be supporting not just the Yahoo-Yahoo boys, but incidentally, we have found out that they are also behind kidnapping, among others.

?So, we banned them, and we have also, clearly, arising from this same incident, directed that all the native doctors operating on this soil must register and be regulated.

?And to that extent, they cannot operate unless they have the clearance of the Otu-Ihaza, which is the governing legislative body of Asaba.

?In the same vein, we have also tried to moderate the visit to the shrine of the deity of Asaba, which is the Onishe, because we have noticed that the place is more or less being desecrated. People go there for all reasons and all purposes.

?So, we have also decreed that henceforth, nobody, whether you are from Asaba or not, visits that shrine unless you also have the approval from the Otu-Ihaza.

?What is even more disturbing, and that is why this press conference is called, is that we do not know who the people residing in Asaba are anymore because of the influx arising from this dislocation.

In light of this, we find that most of these people now consider Asaba to be a haven, and they are moving from Onitsha and other parts of Anambra State to Delta State for safety. Not just to take refuge, but also to continue their illegal activities.?

Operation Know Your Tenants?

?So today, we are declaring ?Operation Know Your Tenants? in Asaba. Consequently, we are challenging all the landlords in Asaba to have documentation and an inventory of all their tenants so that at any stopover for a check, one will be able to know those residing in a particular area.

?We want to use this to ensure that all those people who have crossed over do not find it easy residing in Asaba because they know we can fish them out within the shortest notice through this ?Operation Know Your Tenants.?

?We insist that we will put together a team that will be going round hotels to also check the list of people staying in the hotels, because the challenge for us now is to attack the hydra-headed monsters around us, whether it is kidnapping, Yahoo boys, or drug peddlers. We want to see how we can stamp out all these from this land.

?Like I said, ours is to support the government of the day, but we must remain proactive.

?So, anything that threatens the peace of this land awakens us to our consciousness that we make sure that this land is not in any way violated by activities of strangers or even indigenes, as the case may be.?

He reiterated that the ?Operation Know Your Tenants? would be pursued with all vigor ?to ensure that all those who crossed over and who are already residing here will not find this a comfortable place to live in.?

?We will continue pushing for peace to reign in this land, and we will be proactive to the best of our ability. But let it be on record that when the time became very difficult for us as a people, we did not fold our hands.

?That we also reasoned out and rose to the occasion to see how we can help the government of the day in addressing some of the challenges of our time.?

To rid Asaba of drug-related crimes, the monarch promised to cooperate with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and local security forces. He also warned that homes discovered to be hubs for drug trafficking and other illegal activities will face severe penalties, including eviction.

Comrade Victor Ojei, a resident and the main organizer of the Young Nigerian Rights Organization, praised the Asagba of Asaba for his audacious actions, claiming that they demonstrated his dedication to upholding law and order, preserving culture, and ensuring community safety.

?As Delta State emerges as a new location for Anambra-displaced traditionalists, the rules established will guarantee that Asaba does not turn into a sanctuary for criminal elements.?

?For me, I think it is a step in the right direction,? said Jonathan, another resident who praised the Asaba monarch. ?Considering Asaba?s safety, I think the king decided to restrict the ezenwanyi?s power, particularly concerning non-natives,? he added.

Speaking in a similar vein during a ceremony at his palace, the Obuzor of Ibusa kingdom, Oshimili North Local Government Area, HRM Louis Nwoboshi, said native doctors from other areas were not permitted to settle in the community, emphasizing that no native doctor was permitted to operate without proper certification.

He stressed, ?Native doctors should leave the community and let me sanitize what they have damaged.?

Elder Sheriff Oborevwori, the governor of Delta State, disputes the notion that Asaba is no longer secure.

Speaking at the February commissioning of a hotel in Asaba by a private investor, he stated, ?Asaba has been wearing a new look in the last eight years because the place is peaceful and so many of our brothers across the Niger found it more comfortable to stay and even live here.?

?What is more interesting is that they come here during the festive periods, stay and go home from here, and come back the same day because they know that Asaba is safe.

?So this hotel is an addition because we need more hotels. Sometimes, getting accommodation is a problem.

We need more of these investments. People tend to invest in peaceful places, which is why you see people traveling to Asaba for this purpose.

Asaba, the safest state capital in Nigeria ?Ukah, Asaba Capital Territory Devt. Agency D-G

Chief Patrick Ukah, the director general of the Asaba Capital Territory Development Agency and a former secretary to the Delta State Government, allayed fears that criminals from Anambra State and some Eastern states have taken over Asaba, claiming it is the safest state capital in Nigeria.

He recalled a recent successful operation in which security personnel in Ogbuli, Ibusa community, captured a notorious criminal who had been terrorizing Imo State.

?The other people who murdered the House of Assembly member, the six of them, were caught, and they were caught here, not that the army or police from Anambra State came in here to do it.

?First and foremost, Asaba, or the capital territory, is like a haven. Most of these criminals you see coming, know that this is the only place where they are safe.

?Psychologically, it is difficult for them to operate in the environment where they stay. I must tell you that those who were arrested recently, there is no way you can arrest them without our security forces; they work in collaboration with us.

?In the words of the Department of State Services (DSS), the police and the Director General of Security are on top of it. We should just be relaxed, but definitely, the fact that Jesus Christ walked on water does not mean you just go and attempt it. So we should also be very cautious.

?But so far, I think we can still say that the capital territory is about the safest in Nigeria. And we pray that that safety will continue to be that way.?

Edafe, police image maker, says that Asaba is not a place where criminals go to unwind

?Asaba is not a place where criminals come to settle,? stated Superintendent of Police Bright Edafe, the Delta State Command?s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), who emphasized that the command was constantly alert.

?The notion that people travel to Asaba to hide is untrue. Does a single incident lead you to generalize about Asaba?

?He maintained that when state command agents make arrests in another state, it cannot be assumed that Delta State criminals were moving there to live.? (Saturday Vanguard)

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