No fewer than eight people were reportedly killed in a reprisal attack following the alleged killing of an unarmed herder by a local vigilante in Kupa Kingdom, Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Although security agencies have yet to confirm the casualty figure, residents said eight people were killed on Wednesday.
The violence occurred in the Abugi, Kuchinda and Mikugi communities after a herder was allegedly shot dead by a local vigilante member who suspected him of cattle rustling.
Residents said armed attackers later carried out a reprisal assault on the three communities, leaving several people dead and heightening tensions in the area.
The Kogi State Government confirmed the incidents, describing the killings as “tragic, senseless and unacceptable,” and pledged to bring those responsible to justice.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, said the reprisal attack followed the killing of the herder and further escalated tensions in the affected communities.
According to Fanwo, Governor Ahmed Ododo has directed security agencies to take immediate control of the situation, restore peace and prevent further attacks.
“The governor has also ordered the arrest of the local vigilante member alleged to have killed the herder, as well as those allegedly responsible for the reprisal attack.
“The leader of the Hybrid Vigilante Group, who is alleged to have coordinated the reprisal assault, is also being sought for arrest,” the statement said.
The government condemned both the killing of the herder and the retaliatory attack, stressing that neither could be justified.
“The Kogi State Government condemns in the strongest terms both the killing of the unarmed herder and the subsequent reprisal attack. These are criminal acts that have no place in our society,” Fanwo said.
He added that anyone found to have participated in either incident, regardless of status or ethnic background, would face the full weight of the law.
The commissioner appealed to residents of Kupa Kingdom to remain calm, avoid further reprisals and provide credible information to security agencies to aid ongoing investigations.
He said the state government was working with security agencies, traditional rulers, community leaders and other stakeholders to restore lasting peace in the affected communities.
Fanwo also conveyed Governor Ododo’s condolences to the families of those killed, assuring them of the government’s commitment to ensuring justice and protecting lives and property across the state.