By; ADAMA JOHN, Lokoja
Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo has expressed deep shock over the recent wanton killings by bandits in Agojeju-Odo Community in Omala Local Government Area of the state.
A statement issued on Saturday by Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Ismaila Isah said that the governor was bemused by the ugly dimension that the communal clashes between people in the area have assumed startling dimension over time as he promised immediate intervention by his administration to forestall a reoccurrence of the unfortunate incident.
Governor Ododo assured that the perpetrators of the dastardly act will not go unpunished, adding that security agencies are on the trail of the assailants whose acts of mindless cowardice resulted in the destruction of lives and property in the area.
Disturbed by the spate of wanton destruction of lives and property, the governor who has since sent a delegation led by his deputy, , Elder Joel Oyibo Salifu on a condolence visit to the area, further assured that kinetic and non-kinetic measures deployed by the state government have led to relative stability in Omala Local Government Area until the recent escalation of the conflict.
Governor Ododo further said that the state will deploy a detachment of the recently established Metropolitan Quick Response to the area to reinforce the existing security architecture in the Omala Local Government Area.
The governor commiserated relatives of those killed in the crisis and promised that the government would provide support for those injured and others whose houses were razed by the marauding beasts.
It would be recalled that unknown gunmen believed to be bandits on Thursday, invaded Agojeju Odo in Omala Local Government Area of Kogi State and killed staggering number of people while many houses were set ablaze.
According to reports gathered, about 34 people were killed last Thursday, while another 15 bodies were recovered from the bush on Friday morning as the search for more bodies continues.
The armed men encircled the community and launched a violent assault, resulting in fatalities and the destruction of homes.
A community leader, who narrowly escaped the attack, said that the sudden onslaught caught the residents off guard.
News of a potential invasion had been circulating for the past three weeks, and the newly appointed Local Government Council Caretaker Chairman, Mark Edibo, had been notified, despite assurances of safety and security.
According to a source, the violence stemmed from a disagreement between a young man in Agojeju-Odo and a herder whose cattle damaged the farmer’s farm. Despite intervention by the caretaker chairman, tensions escalated.
Meanwhile, the Kogi State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Williams Aya, confirmed the incident, stating that the Commissioner of Police had deployed a tactical squad comprising Mobile Police, Soldiers, and Vigilante men to restore order in response to a distress call.
SP Aya could not provide an exact casualty figure, but assured that he would gather information from the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Omala Local Government Council and provide an update.
“As for the figure of dead persons, I can’t confirm now. I will call you after I have spoken with the DPO in charge of Omala, but I know that so many people sustained gunshot injuries,” he said.
He stated that the Commissioner of Police Kogi State Police Command, CP Bethrand Onuoha had deployed more policemen to the communities, assuring that the perpetrators of the heinous act would be apprehended.
The community appealed to Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo and security agencies to come to their aid by deploying more personnel to the area, as the police in the local government council have been overwhelmed by the attackers.
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