DEMANDS FOR JUSTICE AS GROUP PETITIONS SOLUDO OVER DEATH OF FORMER ONICCIMA PRESIDENT IN TAX-RELATED ASSAULT
The tragic death of Hon. Okey Akaneme, a prominent Anambra industrialist and former President of the Onitsha Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (ONICCIMA), has ignited a firestorm of public outrage and advocacy. Rights group Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD) has petitioned Anambra State Governor Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, calling for justice, reform, and accountability after reports emerged that Akaneme died from injuries sustained during a violent altercation with agents of the Anambra State Waste Management Authority (ASWAMA).
According to the group, Akaneme’s death was neither sudden nor natural, but the result of what they called “a tragic and avoidable assault,” carried out in the guise of tax enforcement. The incident has since sparked a statewide reckoning over the increasing brutality, illegality, and impunity surrounding Anambra’s revenue collection ecosystem.
Okey Akaneme, a well-respected entrepreneur and community leader, reportedly succumbed to internal injuries inflicted during a confrontation with ASWAMA officials earlier this month. Though precise details of the altercation remain scarce, eyewitnesses claim that agents of ASWAMA, acting under a sanitation and waste tax enforcement mandate, assaulted Akaneme during a dispute over levies imposed on one of his business premises in Onitsha.
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What began as a routine revenue drive quickly escalated into a physical confrontation, according to local reports. Akaneme was allegedly manhandled and struck during the incident, and though he initially appeared to recover, complications from internal injuries soon set in. He died days later, leaving behind a grieving family and a bewildered business community.
In a statement signed by Executive Director Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, FENRAD described Akaneme’s death as both “avoidable” and “a direct consequence of the lawless conduct of government agents.”
The group noted:
“The tragic and senseless death of Hon. Akaneme has exposed a growing and alarming trend of violence, brutality, and harassment in the name of tax collection in Anambra State. We are now witnessing a pattern in which unauthorized agents, or those loosely monitored by the government, brutalize citizens and extort money without due process, accountability, or humanity.”
FENRAD said it was “deeply saddened that a respected community leader and business figure like Hon. Akaneme could be subjected to such inhumane treatment, and ultimately lose his life, simply due to the actions of agents of the state purportedly tasked with sanitation and tax collection.”
The group issued a 6-point demand to Governor Soludo:
- Immediate and Independent Investigation:
A judicial or administrative inquiry must be set up to determine the facts, identify the perpetrators, and assign culpability to all responsible actors within ASWAMA. - Prosecution of Perpetrators:
All agents directly or indirectly involved in the assault that led to Akaneme’s death must be arrested, prosecuted, and made to face the full weight of the law. - Reform of ASWAMA and Related Units:
FENRAD demanded that Governor Soludo urgently reform ASWAMA and similar tax enforcement bodies to ensure operations are lawful, humane, and professionally supervised. - Compensation for the Akaneme Family:
The group called on the state to provide immediate financial and public reparations to the deceased’s family for their irreparable loss and trauma. - Public Condemnation of Violent Tax Enforcement:
FENRAD urged Governor Soludo to publicly denounce the use of violence in revenue collection and issue new policy directives guaranteeing humane enforcement practices. - Legislative and Human Rights Oversight:
The Anambra State House of Assembly, the State Police Command, and the National Human Rights Commission were called upon to investigate and intervene.
Akaneme’s death is not the first to be linked to revenue enforcement in Anambra. In recent years, market associations, traders’ unions, transport workers, and private entrepreneurs have voiced increasing frustration over what they describe as a “militia-like” revenue collection regime in the state.
Critics accuse the Soludo administration of outsourcing revenue collection to third-party consultants and quasi-task forces who often resort to violence, harassment, and arbitrary arrests.
A businesswoman at the Ochanja Market, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisal, told GNC:
“These people operate like thugs in government uniforms. They have no respect for elders or business owners. Sometimes they don’t even give you notice—they just attack, seize goods, beat you up, and claim you owe one fee or another.”
ASWAMA: From Sanitation to Extortion?
The Anambra State Waste Management Authority (ASWAMA) was originally established to coordinate waste disposal and sanitation in the state. However, under successive administrations, its mandate has expanded to include revenue generation via sanitation levies and environmental taxes.
Stakeholders say this mission creep has turned ASWAMA from a public utility into a rogue enforcement arm, tasked with shakedowns rather than service delivery.
The Onitsha Business District Council (OBDC) released a statement following Akaneme’s death, accusing ASWAMA of overreach:
“We demand that ASWAMA be stripped of its revenue enforcement powers. Sanitation agencies should not be in the business of beating up citizens or seizing property. Their role is to manage waste, not collect taxes through brute force.”
Political Fallout: Will Soludo Respond?
Governor Soludo, a former CBN governor and economic reformer, has been walking a tightrope between aggressive internally generated revenue (IGR) expansion and growing public backlash over enforcement methods.
As of press time, the governor’s office had yet to issue a formal statement on Akaneme’s death. Sources within the Government House in Awka say the administration is aware of the controversy and “reviewing the facts before making public remarks.”
However, pressure is mounting. The Onitsha business community, a crucial economic bloc in the state, has threatened to organise a protest if the state government fails to act decisively.
Meanwhile, legal experts and civil society organisations are calling for constitutional reforms that will rein in arbitrary task forces.
Wider Implications: A Culture of Fear
The implications of this case go far beyond Onitsha. Across many Nigerian states, citizens now live in fear of tax-related harassment. From multiple levies on petty traders to extortion rings masked as revenue agencies, the practice of aggressive revenue enforcement has become normalized.
FENRAD’s intervention echoes similar warnings from other groups like SERAP, HEDA Resource Centre, and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), all of whom have condemned the trend of using violence as a fiscal policy tool.
In March 2025, a similar case was reported in Aba, Abia State, where a tricycle rider died after being dragged from his vehicle and beaten by environmental officers. That incident is still under investigation.
Demands for Broader Reform
FENRAD’s appeal to Governor Soludo was accompanied by a national call for better regulation of sub-national tax regimes. The group urged the Federal Government and National Assembly to create frameworks that ensure state and local government tax enforcement practices conform to human rights standards.
In particular, they called for:
- Independent revenue complaint boards in each state
- Digital tax collection systems to reduce human contact
- Whistleblower protection for victims of task force abuse
- Annual public audit of revenue agencies like ASWAMA
Solidarity and the Search for Justice
As the Akaneme family prepares for burial rites, condolences continue to pour in from across the country. The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (NACCIMA) has called for a national moment of silence during its next general meeting.
“Hon. Akaneme was a builder of bridges, not a breaker of bones,” said Dr. Udo Kalu, President of NACCIMA. “He did not deserve to die for simply trying to protect his business from extortion.”
FENRAD concluded its press release with a commitment to pursue the matter until justice is served:
“This is not just about Hon. Akaneme alone—it is about ending the systemic terror, brutality, and unlawful conduct by state-affiliated task forces in the name of tax collection. No citizen should die at the hands of those meant to serve and protect public interest.”
NEXT STEPS
- Awaiting Soludo’s Response: Governor Soludo is expected to make a public statement within the coming days, either confirming a probe or announcing measures to address the incident.
- Possible Legislative Inquiry: Pressure is mounting on the Anambra State House of Assembly to open an inquiry into ASWAMA’s operations.
- Funeral Date Pending: The Akaneme family has not yet announced funeral arrangements as they consult lawyers and community leaders over next steps.
- Public Vigil: A coalition of Anambra-based rights groups is planning a candlelight procession to honour Akaneme and protest the culture of violent tax enforcement.