Kogi 2023: Group Exposes Sponsors of Violence, Intimidation
By Urube Peter, Abuja
In a press conference held on Tuesday, July 11, 2023, the Kogi East Elders’ Council (KEEC) shed light on the escalating state-sponsored insecurity plaguing Kogi State and particularly the Kogi East Senatorial district.
The council chairman Ali Ocheni, has expressed their concern and drew the attention of Nigeria and international bodies to the violence and intimidation orchestrated by the Kogi state political leadership in preparation for the upcoming November 11 gubernatorial election.
The KEEC chairman highlighted several incidents that occurred following the endorsement of their preferred candidate, Alhaji Murtala Yakubj Ajaka, based on the aspirations and studies carried out by the people of Kogi East. They revealed that after the endorsement, the first security breach was an attack orchestrated and supervised by Governor Yahaya Bello, along the Lokoja-Abuja highway, during which Ajaka’s car came under attack with multiple gunshots.
In a disturbing turn of events, the Kogi State radio station in Ochaja, Dekina Local Government Area, was vandalized and looted by thugs of the political leadership. The attack on the radio station was in response to the coverage of the heinous attack on Ajaka.
Ocheni, expressed the council’s displeasure with the use of violence and intimidation as a weapon to stifle freedom of the press.
He further explained that the violence escalated to the Ejule town, Ofu Local Government Area, Kogi East Senatorial zone where a hotel belonging to Mr Kabiru Bala (aka owo), who had decamped to an opposition party, was destroyed. Tragically, he was extrajudicially killed, sparking outrage and sorrow among the community members.
“During the unrest, an innocent woman named Mrs Atima Abdullahi was brutally murdered by an agents of the state.
In 2019, Mrs Salome was burnt to death in her house in Ochadamu by people allegedly identified as the close associates of Governor Bello.
In the words of Ocheni, the council was deeply sorrowful over her loss and called for an end to such senseless violence against innocent citizens.
The KEEC criticized the unprofessional conduct of the state’s commissioner of police, who failed to investigate the allegations against Mr. Bala and instead resorted to violence against the community. And called for his replacement as a state CP, they alleged that his press conference after the vile act depicted his compromised position.
Additionally, incidents of violence, including the targeted killings of two vigilante men who were gunned down by unknown assailants in the previous weeks were also highlighted, Ocheni said.
Ocheni also referred to the recent violation of the campaign office of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Lokoja was set ablaze, destroyed billboards, and damaged doors and windows carried out by Political thugs, suspected to be agents of the Kogi State government.
Governor Yahaya Bello was accused of creating an atmosphere of fear, intimidation, and insecurity within the state, particularly targeting Kogi East.
The council chairman also claimed that Governor Bello had polarized the state, using poverty and ignorance as weapons against the people he is meant to lead. He emphasized that citizens must be allowed to freely choose their leaders, regardless of party affiliation, and called for an end to the use of sponsored thugs and terrorists.
The elders council therefore demanded called for replacement of biased officials, including the Kogi state INEC Commissioner and Administrative Secretary, as well as the Commissioner of Police and the Director of the State Security Service.
He also called for an investigation into Navy Commander Akalezi, who was accused of being Governor Bello’s hitman.
The KEEC urged the federal government to pay attention to the situation in Kogi State, emphasizing that any breakdown of law and order could have severe consequences not only for the state but also for the entire nation. Stating that Kogi State has a strategic location as the southern gateway to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and its numerous boundaries with ten states and the FCT make it crucial to maintain stability and security.
The elders council through its chairman, concluded by appealing to the federal government to ensure a level playing field for all contestants in the forthcoming election, emphasizing the need for transparent and fair processes to safeguard democracy in Kogi and the country in general
