The Nigeria Police Force, Zone 13 Command, Ukpo, Anambra State, has arraigned three members of the Agunechemba local security outfit before the Federal High Court I, Awka, over alleged illegal possession of firearms, prompting a sharp response from the Onitsha South Local Government Area which accused the police of undermining the Anambra State Homeland Security Law by arresting and prosecuting operatives who were lawfully deployed on official duty.
The development comes as the Special Adviser to the Anambra State Governor on Community Security, Ken Emeakayi, separately issued a directive banning all Agunechemba operatives from wearing masks while on duty, warning that any personnel who flouts the order would be arrested and disciplined. Emeakayi also cautioned against the indiscriminate mounting of checkpoints by the security outfit’s personnel.
The twin developments highlight growing tensions between the state-established security framework and federal law enforcement agencies, as well as internal discipline challenges within the Agunechemba outfit itself.
The three defendants Echezona Ezeonyejekwe, Sunday Azuma, and Chinedu Nwakwo all attached to the Onitsha South Local Government Area, were brought before the Federal High Court in Awka on Friday, May 15, 2026, and charged with unlawful possession of three pump-action rifles described as prohibited firearms without a valid licence.
The offence is said to be contrary to Section 3 and punishable under Section 27(1)(a)(i) of the Firearms Act, Cap F28, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
According to the charge sheet obtained by journalists, with Suit No. FHC/AWK/C/73C/2026, the charges were dated April 16, 2026, and listed the Inspector-General of Police as complainant.
One of the counts read: “That you, Echezona Ezeonyejekwe (M), Sunday Azuma (M), Chinedu Nwakwo (M), and others now at large, between September 9, 2025, and April 14, 2026, at No. 93 Silas Works Road, Fegge, Onitsha, Anambra State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did unlawfully possess three pump-action rifles, being prohibited firearms, without licence duly granted to you, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 3 and punishable under Section 27(1)(a)(i) of the Firearms Act, Cap F28, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”
A second count alleged conspiracy to commit malicious damage contrary to Section 516 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The charge further stated: “That you, Echezona Ezeonyejekwe (M), Sunday Azuma (M), Chinedu Nwakwo (M), and others now at large, on the same dates and within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, while acting in concert and armed with guns, machetes, hammers, and other dangerous weapons, wilfully and unlawfully destroyed three buildings valued at N700 million, property belonging to Sabest Uzor, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 451(b) of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”
After the charges were read, the defendants were remanded at the Awka Correctional Centre pending further hearing.
The Onitsha South Local Government Area responded swiftly to the arraignment, accusing Zone 13 Police Command of undermining the Anambra State Homeland Security Law.
In a statement titled “Police actions undermine Anambra Homeland Security Law,” the Secretary of Onitsha South LGA, Paul Onuachalla, said the operatives were lawfully deployed and were carrying out official duties at the time of their arrest.
“For the record, Ezeonyejekwe and the two other operatives were lawfully deployed to provide security at the Council’s Fire Service Station located along Silas Works Road, Woliwo, Fegge, Onitsha, a facility currently under construction,” Onuachalla stated.
He said the council was deeply concerned by the decision of the Zone 13 Police Command to arrest and arraign the operatives while they were on official duty, describing the action as inconsistent with the state’s homeland security framework.
Onuachalla further alleged that the defendants were not served with the charges before being brought to court, and that police bail had initially been secured through the local government before the prosecution proceeded. He said the police allegedly refused to consider explanations regarding the operatives’ official roles and proceeded with prosecution, including opposing bail applications.
The local government called for intervention from relevant authorities, arguing that the police action undermined the legitimate operations of a security outfit established under Anambra State law.
The case raises a significant legal question about the interplay between state homeland security legislation, which authorises the deployment of armed security operatives under state government control, and federal firearms legislation, which strictly regulates the possession of prohibited firearms and requires valid federal licences. The Firearms Act is a federal law, and its enforcement falls within the jurisdiction of the federal courts, which is why the matter is before the Federal High Court in Awka rather than a state court.
In a separate but related development, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Community Security, Ken Emeakayi, on Thursday directed all Agunechemba operatives to immediately stop wearing masks while on duty.
Emeakayi gave the directive while addressing Agunechemba commanders drawn from the 179 communities across the 21 Local Government Areas of the state during a routine meeting in Awka.
Before the ban, Agunechemba operatives routinely covered their faces with masks carrying various designs and inscriptions during operations — a practice that the security adviser said created opportunities for criminal elements to impersonate legitimate operatives and commit violent crimes.
“Henceforth, Agunechemba operatives must stop wearing masks. Any operative carrying out his duty with a mask, especially within towns in civil cases, is hiding something,” Emeakayi stated.
He warned that any personnel who flouts the order, except those on special assignments, would be arrested and disciplined.
Emeakayi explained the rationale for the ban in blunt terms: “By operating with masks, security operatives can scare citizens, while criminal elements can also take advantage of it and perpetrate crimes, which could be blamed on the agency and its men.”
He addressed the operatives directly, dismissing any claims that masks were necessary for their protection. “You have nothing to fear. All of you live in various localities, and people already know you as security men. When you sit at joints enjoying your beer, do you wear masks? Some of you even take your working tools (guns) to drinking joints. What do you want to prove? Just so that people will hail you?” Emeakayi said.
The security adviser further cautioned against the indiscriminate setting up of checkpoints on roads by Agunechemba operatives, warning that such practices would not be tolerated.
“No checkpoint will be mounted permanently on any particular road or route by personnel of the security group,” Emeakayi directed. He said checkpoints must be strictly for security reasons, targeted at criminals, and must not be used to harass innocent motorists and other road users.
He also tasked the commanders with assisting in the fight against drug dealers in the state through intelligence-led operations rather than indiscriminate roadblocks.
Agunechemba is a statewide security outfit established in 2025 through the Anambra State Homeland Security Law under the administration of Governor Charles Soludo. The outfit was launched with 2,000 personnel and 200 vehicles and is tasked with fighting crime through a community-based approach aimed at strengthening local policing across the state’s 21 Local Government Areas.
The security outfit operates under the supervision of the Governor’s Special Adviser on Community Security, Ken Emeakayi — the same official who recently was cleared by an Anambra State Government fact-finding committee of allegations of an improper relationship with the wife of convicted Mr Chidozie Nwangwu, popularly known as Akwa Okuko.
The arraignment of three of its operatives by the Nigeria Police Force, the local government’s accusation that the police are undermining the state’s security law, and the simultaneous internal crackdown on mask-wearing and indiscriminate checkpoints paint a picture of a security outfit navigating external legal challenges from federal agencies while simultaneously confronting internal discipline issues that threaten its public credibility.
The matter before the Federal High Court, Awka, remains pending. The defendants are being held at the Awka Correctional Centre.
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