Onitsha, the commercial capital of Anambra State, has been proclaimed a war zone by Governor Chukwuma Soludo.

Soludo delivered the proclamation on Saturday at the Ofala Festival of Obi Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, also known as Agbogidi, monarch of the Onitsha Ancient Kingdom.

Soludo, in his address to the people of Onitsha, remarked that the territory now known as Greater Onitsha (comprising five local government areas in modern-day Anambra) was the original site of Igbo civilization and that the city of Onitsha itself must undergo modernization before the rest of Igboland can do so.

Soludo remarked,

We celebrate Agbogidi’s 22 years on the throne with him at this year’s Ofala Festival. The way Onitsha people portray Onitsha Ofala appeals to me. It’s a very admirable way of life.

For Ndigbo to progress, Onitsha, as the Obi of the people, must progress. That’s why we’re putting in so much effort to get those skeletons back to life. Igbo’s claim to fame is its massive metropolis.

We are determined to completely eradicate all criminal elements from Onitsha. We’ll be there to get them very soon. To prevent them from taking Onitsha, we will continue to evacuate them from wherever they come.

According to Soludo, “something major” in terms of security is going to happen in Onitsha within the next several weeks.