Governor Yahaya Bello-led government of Kogi State government has insisted that there were no extrajudicial killings in the state as purported by some naysayers.
According to the government, it is only criminals that are protesting the actions of security agencies who were only working hard to get rid of crime in the state and sustain the prevailing peace.
It added that the good people of the state were totally in support of the latest actions being taken by the security agencies.
The State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Hon Kingsley Femi Fanwo, noted in a statement on Tuesday, that anyone on the streets protesting against the peace and security of the state must be regarded as a criminal whose trade had been cut short by the “zero tolerance for criminality” approach of the security agencies.
The statement reads: “We want to state clearly that there are no extrajudicial killings in the state as some naysayers and purveyors of violence who were hard-hit by the recent onslaught on criminals in the state want people to believe.
“They have been mourning a criminal, gunrunner and kidnapper who security agents took down after his attack on security operatives in the state. We cannot sacrifice the peace of the state on the altar of violent politics.
“The need for us to clear the air on the matter is occasioned by a purported protest by ill-informed political agents in wigs, who are clearly acting the script of sponsors of violence in Kogi State.”
The state government asserted that the protest was a deliberate act to misinform the general public and create an impression of crisis in the confluence state ahead of the governorship election in November.
“It was part of a list of activities that were drawn by some unpopular political actors who desperately want power and are banking on using killers and criminals to achieve their blood-drenching ambition.
“We again call on security agencies to invite politicians expressing sadness over the death of a criminal for questioning. Our people should go about their normal business without let or hindrance as Kogi will be made safe before, during and after the poll. We are Kogi, and we will keep our state safe,” Fanwo noted in the statement.
