By Kogi News Tribune Staff Writer
ABUJA — Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State has raised alarm over rising insecurity in his state, attributing the surge to the spillover of criminal activities from the insurgency-ravaged northern regions of Nigeria.
Speaking in Abuja on Friday after a visit to the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ododo cautioned that Kogi must not be seen as a safe retreat for criminals escaping military offensives in the Northeast and Northwest.
“Kogi State is not a fertile land or a free destination for criminals. We are dealing with them decisively. They are hearing it—we don’t make noise,” the governor asserted.
He said the state’s geographical location—bordering 10 other states including the Federal Capital Territory—makes it particularly vulnerable to infiltration by armed elements fleeing from security operations elsewhere.
Ododo further noted that the underutilisation of Kogi’s abundant natural and agricultural resources was also fueling insecurity. “We have over 32 mineral deposits in commercial quantity, but they have never worked for our dear state. We have arable land that is good for any kind of crops, but it has never been put to productive use,” he lamented.
According to the governor, the recent influx of armed elements into forested areas of the state is a consequence of intensified military action in neighboring zones. “The people hiding in our forests are criminals. No normal human being stays in the bush unless for criminal activities,” he said.
Governor Ododo reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to securing lives and property, promising that his government will remain proactive in tackling threats to peace and development in the state.
“What we are facing today in Kogi and across the country is a national concern. But with cooperation and commitment from all, we will overcome,” he concluded.
His comments come amid renewed concern over the movement of insurgents and bandits from northern flashpoints into relatively peaceful states, raising fears of wider regional instability.
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