Kidnapping: Kogi East Group Warns of Insecurity Rise
By Roselyn James
The Kogi East Senatorial District‘s recent wave of insecurity has been lamented by Kogi East Neighborhood Watch (KENW), a community policing organization.
The group accused Joel Salifu Oyibo, the Deputy Governor of Kogi State, of doing nothing but watching as kidnappers take over his Local Government Area, Ofu, in a statement released on Monday by Wing Commander Iye Ayefu, rtd, the group’s Director of Public Communication.
“Kidnapping occurs on a daily basis in conjunction with the locals who operate in daylight, using military camouflage to deceive commuters plying the road at Ogbakpedo between Okabo and Ochadamu in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State,” the statement said in part.
“On May 16, 2024, the last event of this kidnapping occurred. Millions of naira are the ransom that the kidnappers are demanding. According to reports, a staff member of Prince Abubakar Audu University Anyigba is seeking medical attention at the Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja after narrowly escaping the kidnapping in the region with minor gunshot wounds.
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“The Local Government Council Administrator, Commander Omodara rtd, and the State Security Adviser are fully aware of the incidents, but they don’t appear to have any solutions for the kidnapping issue.
A few days ago, kidnappers encountered some victims on their farms in the Ochadamu area and severely beat them, causing varying degrees of injuries. The dread of being kidnapped or beaten up on their farms has prevented the residents living in the Ochadamu area from engaging in any farming activity at the moment.
“Kogi East Neighborhood Watch (KENW) has resolved to mobilize stakeholders on security to explore how to cope with the kidnapping scourge in light of this tragic occurrence. “Hoel Salifu Oyibo, the State’s Deputy Governor, has taken some actions that, if maintained, could provide respite to the area.”
