Amid growing security concerns in Kogi State, the government has reiterated that it will not enter into negotiations with criminals, maintaining that it possesses the necessary capacity to address the situation.
Kogi is one of the North-Central states currently witnessing an escalation in criminal activities, resulting in multiple abductions in recent weeks.
In the past week, armed bandits executed two separate abductions in Yagba East Local Government Area, though security agents were able to rescue five victims shortly after.
On Sunday, another incident occurred in Yagba West Local Government Area, where a pastor and his wife were abducted during a church service.
During an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday, Kingsley Fanwo, Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, stressed that the state government would remain firm in its stance.
Fanwo stated: “In Kogi State, we don’t negotiate. The governor has made it clear that he will not bow to any criminal. We have the capacity to take them out, we have the capacity to deal with the situation, so we are not going to negotiate with any of them.”
He further explained that although two individuals died during an exchange of gunfire between security forces and the kidnappers, the state’s firm response has sent a strong message to criminal groups, adding that Kogi is increasingly becoming hostile terrain for them.
“We did not negotiate with any criminal, and we are not interested in doing so,” he reiterated.
The Commissioner affirmed that the state government will continue to employ all available security measures to confront and eliminate criminal threats.