Gunmen

Youths also Protest the killing 

Richard Elesho

Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State has ordered an immediate crackdown on the people responsible for the recent violence in the Odo-Ape community in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of the state.

According to a statement issued on Saturday and signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, the Governor directed the State Security Adviser to collaborate with security agencies and local vigilante groups to ensure that the perpetrators are apprehended and brought to justice.

“The government is putting all hands on deck to ensure the attackers do not escape justice,” the statement read.

Governor Ododo urged residents to remain calm and avoid reprisals, which he warned could lead to further losses.

The governor expressed his condolences to the affected families and reiterated his administration’s commitment to ensuring the safety of all residents.

“We sympathize with the communities affected by this unfortunate incident. Rest assured, the Ododo Administration is fully committed to your security and will stop at nothing to guarantee your safety,” the statement added.

The state government also called on the public to provide credible information that could assist security agencies in their efforts to apprehend the culprits.

“Every life in Kogi State is important, and we need the cooperation of our people to end criminal activities,” the statement emphasized.

Security operatives have already been deployed to Odo Ape and other flashpoints in the area to restore peace and ensure the protection of lives and properties. The government assured residents that normalcy would be restored within hours.

Governor Ododo further pledged that those who lost their lives in the attack would not be forgotten and vowed to build the state’s capacity to combat criminal elements effectively.

“The victims of this heinous act will not die in vain. We remain resolute in our fight against the enemies of peace and security in Kogi State.”

Youths also Protest the killing 

Scores of young men and women trouped out this Saturday, 4 January, in Odo-Ape, an agrarian community in Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area,  Kogi State, to protest what they described as incessant attacks and activities of gunmen.

The protesters blocked the federal highway, linking Kabba to Obajana, home of the Dangote Cement. They held leaves and chanted anti-establishment songs.

The latest protest broke out over the Friday killing of two farmers by suspected bandits in the area.

An eyewitness who preferred anonymity described the murder of the two innocent individuals who were going about looking for their daily bread as gruesome.

He said the unidentified hoodlums gunned down one Tiv man named Mr Black while moving his farm harvests to the market site in preparation for sale the next day. He said the victim refused to stop at the approach of the criminals, and they “immediately. Opened fire, killing him on the sport.”

He further noted that after they had fired Mr Black dead, they discovered one Sunday Aiyedero was in the farm within the vicinity. Fearing discovery, they also opened fire and killed him instantly.

Some of the residents who spoke to our reporter described the security situation in Odo-Ape and its environs as worrisome, calling on the government and security agencies to come to their aid, pointing out that they can no longer sleep with their eyes closed.