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The Kogi State Government has condemned the reprisal killings in Abugi, Kuchinda and Mikugi communities in Kupa Kingdom, Lokoja Local Government Area, and directed security agencies to arrest those responsible for the violence.
The state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, announced the directive in a statement on Wednesday.
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He said Governor Ahmed Ododo had ordered security agencies to restore peace and ensure that all those involved in the attacks were brought to justice.
“The Kogi State Government condemns in the strongest terms both the killing of the unarmed herder and the subsequent reprisal attack.
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“These are criminal acts that have no place in our society. Anyone found to have participated in either incident, regardless of status or ethnic affiliation, will face the full weight of the law,” Mr Fanwo said.
The government described the killings as “tragic, senseless and unacceptable” and expressed condolences to the families of those killed and the people of Kupa Kingdom.
According to Mr Fanwo, preliminary reports indicated that the violence began after an unarmed herder was allegedly shot dead by a member of a local vigilante group on suspicion of cattle rustling.
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He said the incident was followed by a reprisal attack allegedly by armed persons who targeted residents of Abugi, Kuchinda and Mikugi communities, resulting in multiple deaths.
The commissioner said Governor Ododo had directed security agencies to arrest the vigilante member accused of killing the herder as well as those responsible for the reprisal attack, including the leader of a Hybrid Vigilante Group alleged to have coordinated the assault.
“We appeal to all residents to remain calm and resist the temptation of reprisals. We also urge members of the public to cooperate with security agencies by providing credible information that will aid ongoing investigations and the arrest of all those responsible,” Mr Fanwo said.
He said the state government was working with security agencies, traditional rulers and community leaders to restore peace and prevent further violence.
Attack on Abugi community
The latest statement follows reports of an attack on Abugi community in Kupa South, Lokoja Local Government Area.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that armed men invaded the community, forcing residents to flee as gunshots rang out. At the time, there was no official confirmation of casualties or the circumstances surrounding the attack.
The statement from the Kogi government provided the first official account of the incident, linking the violence to the alleged killing of a herder and the subsequent reprisal attacks on neighbouring communities.
Renewed security concerns
The latest violence adds to a series of security incidents reported in Kogi State in recent months.
On 15 July, gunmen attacked Government Secondary School, Olowa, in Dekina Local Government Area during the ongoing National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations, abducting the school principal, a NECO official and students.
The victims were rescued the following day after a joint operation involving the Nigerian Army, the State Security Services (SSS), the police and local vigilantes.
Earlier, on 10 June, suspected terrorists attacked Government Secondary School, Iluke Bunu, in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area in an attempt to abduct students.
Three people, including the school’s vice principal and a six-year-old child, were killed before security forces repelled the attack.
READ ALSO: Kogi orders probe into killing of Catholic priest
The state government later announced that the alleged mastermind, Kachalla Ibrahim Batijo, had been killed during a subsequent military operation.
PREMIUM TIMES also reported that the state government subsequently imposed restrictions on commercial motorcycle operations in parts of Kabba/Bunu, banned night travel on some state roads and intensified intelligence-led security operations following a series of kidnappings and attacks.
Authorities say investigations into the latest killings in Kupa Kingdom were ongoing, while additional security personnel have been deployed to prevent further violence and restore normalcy in the affected communities.
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