- Ododo launches proactive steps to combat rising insecurity across Kogi State..
- Security forces receive support, surveillance upgrades and expanded community intelligence roles.
- Governor blames influx of displaced terrorists for escalating regional threats.
The Governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo, has unveiled a series of proactive security measures aimed at safeguarding citizens amid rising insecurity across the state.
Ododo, in a statement released through the state’s official website, said he has taken decisive action against bandits and terrorist groups operating within Kogi, noting that security agencies are closely monitoring their activities.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that he added that the government’s strategy is designed to stay ahead of any plot to destabilise the state.
Speaking to journalists after a high-level security meeting with security chiefs and traditional rulers, the governor stressed that his administration’s priority is to confront criminal elements in their hideouts before they carry out attacks. He stated that the government is determined to make Kogi an extremely difficult environment for banditry and related crimes.
As part of his efforts, Ododo has strengthened the operational capacity of security agencies and enhanced inter-agency cooperation to tackle threats in vulnerable communities. The plan includes increased patrols, deployment of specialised units, and the use of technological surveillance to track and apprehend suspects.
He also highlighted the critical role of local vigilante groups and traditional institutions in intelligence gathering and community policing, describing them as essential partners in maintaining peace.
Beyond direct security operations, the governor is addressing underlying drivers of insecurity, such as unemployment and poverty. According to him, youth empowerment initiatives and other livelihood programmes are being implemented to discourage recruitment into criminal gangs and to build a more resilient society.
Ododo has further imposed a 4:00 p.m. restriction on social, religious, community, and political gatherings in response to recurring attacks. Despite this, new cases of violence and abductions continue to be reported in some parts of the state.
He attributed the rising insecurity across the North-central region, including Kogi, to the influx of fleeing terrorists displaced by intensified military operations in the North-east and North-west.
He maintained that while criminals may enter the state in large numbers, “they go in their zeros,” signalling what he described as consistent operational successes by security forces.
